The Guardian of their Dreams
by TheJackGood
Summary: Instead of eating the Gomu Gomu no mi, Luffy eats an unknown Mythical Zoan. With training from both Shanks and Garp during his childhood, Luffy's dream of being the freest man in the world is within his grasp. A smarter/stronger/darker Luffy. LuffyxHancock
1. The Dawn of Romanticism

Chapter 1- The Dawn of Romanticism

 **Disclaimer... I am not Goda, nor will I ever come close to his creative ability. I don't own One Piece, sadly.**

 **Actions**

 _"Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

 _Eleven years before the present..._

"There Luffy, good as new," said Makino after finishing stitching together Luffy's face. "Luffy, promise me you won't do something stupid like that again."

"Fine I promise, but I only did it because I wanted to prove to Shanks I'm ready to be a pirate," said Luffy still showing some pain on his face. "I'm a man Shanks, I didn't even cry when it happened. I can handle whatever the seas throw at me, and I'm even a great swimmer.." Luffy said, trying to puff out his chest.

Shanks turned to Luffy with a glass in his hand and said, "Sure Luffy, here drink some juice." Shanks slid the drink over to Luffy who grabbed it with both hands.

"Thanks, Shanks" Luffy replied, before happily drinking half the glass in a couple seconds.

Then the entire bar started to laugh hysterically, "I've never seen a pirate drink juice before, have you guys?" Shanks asked, clearly amused by this boys antics.

Luffy realizing he had been tricked, started screaming at Shanks and the rest of the pirates in the bar, "Hey, that's unfair, you guys tricked me!"

Shanks turned to Luffy still laughing a bit, before his expression turned slightly serious, "Luffy you aren't ready for life on the sea. You are too weak to even punch straight, and you are too young. What are you 6 or 7, even I didn't start pirating until I was 12. Wait and train for a while longer, then follow your dreams."

"Fine I'll wait, but when I arrive in the Grand Line, I will have the best pirate crew in the World, we will be even stronger than you or the Roger pirates, I will find the One Piece, and become the FREEST MAN IN THE WORLD!" Luffy screamed with his entire being, inadvertently creating a potent blast of Haki that brought Makino to her knees.

Every person in the bar froze, not believing what this child just did. Shanks seeing that Makino was still on her knees, moved behind the bar and helped her off the floor. Shanks then moved back to his stool beside Luffy, never taking his eyes off him, then downed half the bottle of sake in his hand. A moment later, a large man kicked open the saloon doors, breaking one of the doors off its hinges. A group of Mountain bandits then crowded the entrance to the bar.

"So, these are the Pirates everyone in this worthless village is talking about. Hah, they don't look so tough." The large Bandit said, while he strolled through the bar to Shanks' side. "Hey, barkeep why don't you give us 10 barrels of sake and a good time, maybe then we won't burn down the place." gaining a few laughs from some in the group of bandits behind him.

After a second, Makino said, " Sorry, they drank the place dry." motioning to the pirates in the Bar. "Huh, So what are they drinking now, Water?" Higuma replied clearly irritated. Makino then calmly answered, "No, that's the last of the booze, just go somewhere else."

" Sorry man, didn't realize how much we drank, here this bottle hasn't been opened yet, it's yours." Shanks then added, while holding out a full bottle of sake.

The bandit grabbed the bottle by the neck then broke it over the counter, holding the jagged remains of the bottle to Shanks' neck." I could kill you and your crew right now if I wanted, I'm a big shot on this island, I got an 8 million Berri bounty on my head. That would be thirsty work though. I suggest you pirates leave before we get back, or there will be trouble." He said, before leaving the bar and taking the group of bandits with him.

After about 30 seconds the entire bar erupted in laughter, while Shanks cleaned the broken glass from the floor and counter. Lucky Roo looked like he was about to die he was laughing so hard. With tears in his eyes, he over to shanks and in between laughs he said, "Oh Capt'n, he got you good, I bet you're shaking in your boots!"

Luffy couldn't take it anymore, he just watched that bandit disrespect his hero and walk away from it like nothing happened, Luffy couldn't process it, so he exploded on Shanks. "WHY THE HELL DO YOU THINK THAT'S FUNNY? HE JUST THREATENED YOU AND YOUR CREW, AND YOU DO NOTHING ABOUT IT!?"

Shanks looked genuinely surprised at his outburst for a moment, but understood Luffy's anger, "Luffy, not every problem should be solved by conflict, if there is a peaceful alternative, it should be explored." Shanks then put a hand on Luffy's shoulders and finished, "Do you understand the meaning behind what I'm saying?"

Benn Beckman added, " He's right Luffy, besides if we got into a fight it would put a damper our fun."

Shanks then yelled, "ANOTHER ROUND!" Which got cheers from his entire crew. Calming down a bit, Luffy didn't completely understand, but as he looked around the bar, Luffy saw a small chest on the counter in between him and Shanks. Curious as a child can be, he decided to open it, just to see the treasure. When Luffy looked inside the chest, he expected to see diamonds, emeralds and other rare and valuable gems, but instead found a strange white apple with flame-like orange accents and a curly blood-red stem. Although it was unlike any apple he had seen in his life, Luffy unconsciously reached for the apple and took it out of the chest. As Luffy picked up the apple, he became enamored by the texture and color, he could feel the apple was pulsating with something powerful. Luffy looked at Shanks, whom was busy polishing off his bottle of sake to notice and decided to eat the thing.

After a couple minutes Shanks noticed Luffy has been incredibly quiet, which was strange especially for Luffy. Looking over at the boy, he noticed the open chest and Luffy eating something. Shanks acted as fast as he could, but when he got to Luffy, it was already too late, the entirety of the fruit was eaten. Shanks, already got the attention of everyone in the bar, held Luffy up by his ears and started shaking him, "LUFFY, YOU DUMBASS! THAT WAS A DEVIL FRUIT!"

Luffy, with a confused look asked, " A devil fruit? What's that, I thought that was just a terrible tasting apple?"

Shanks still shouting, "LUFFY, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT FRUIT IS, IT COULD BE AS USELESS AS THE JAKE JAKE NO MI FOR ALL WE KNOW."

"The Jake Jake no mi?" A moment later, 2 white wings sprouted from Luffy's back and a flaming halo appeared over his head. Surprising everyone in the bar.

Seeing as it wasn't a totally useless fruit, Shanks let a heavy sigh of relief go, and let Luffy down. He quickly recovered and said "Luffy, a devil fruit is one of the rarest treasures of the sea, but the price you now pay for having those powers is that you will never be able to swim again."

"So I'll have these wings the rest of my life! But how will I wear shirts?" Luffy asked, clearly not understanding the big picture.

"Don't worry Luffy, this seems to be a Zoan of some type. Though I've never heard of, or seen a Zoan like this before. You might have gotten incredibly lucky and ate a Mythical Zoan, the rarest Devil Fruit in the World. Hell, even I only know of three other Mythical Zoan users in the entire world."

"Woah... only three other people in the world... Do they have the same power?" Luffy asked.

"No Luffy, just like every other devil fruit in the world, you are the only person to have this power or specific fruit. Luffy, follow me lets see what else you can do. Lucky, Yasopp, Benn lets see what this legendary fruit can do."

* * *

 _3 months later…_

"Alright, Luffy no more using your "Holy Fire" in forests. That was the second fire in 2 months, it took us forever to get control of the last one. So let's not make the same mistakes again. We don't want to lose the entire forest do we?"

"Ok, but I already know change at will and how to fly... Then I just need to work on control for my fire, and different techniques. Shanks, I've been meaning to ask, can you teach me how to use a sword? Yours looks so cool!"

"If it will keep your mind off burning down forests, then sure. I'll even teach you my sword style, which I learned from the Pirate King, Gold Roger himself."

"You knew Gold Roger himself… Shanks knew the Pirate King, wait... how did you know him, were you on his crew?" Luffy asked with stars in his eyes.

"I was, until a couple years before his death, he's also the one who gave me this Straw Hat. That's why I have never let you touch it. It's my most prized possession."

The stars in Luffy's eyes lasted until he passed out later that night from exhaustion, only after hearing countless stories about Gol D. Roger's adventures and his greatest battles, many of them against the Legendary Marine Monkey D. Garp.

* * *

 _That night on Shank's ship_

"Hey Benn, I need you to do something for me," Shanks said with hints of exhaustion in his voice.

"Alright Capitan, what do you need?"

"I need you to teach Luffy about Navigation, both outside and inside the Grand Line, at least to a basic level. We don't want him to die just drifting in the seas, do we?"

"No we don't, I'll talk to him tomorrow after his training and see what I can do. "

"Thanks, I think this kid has the potential to be a better pirate than myself or even Roger. I'm actually excited to see what he can do when he's unleashed on the world."

Benn looked out onto the sea with a faraway gaze and replied, "He will flip the world upside down."

* * *

 _6 months later…_

"I'm impressed Luffy, not only is your technique nearly flawless, but you are even starting to improve and personalize the style to suit your strengths and maximize your weaknesses. You even incorporated the use of your devil fruit, which is a nice touch. The only way you can get better now is to get stronger and experience more fights." Shanks stated, with an ounce of pride in his voice.

"Well, I have a great teacher so it's pretty easy to learn. Now that I've got swords down pretty well, can you teach me about haki? I've been wanting to learn it since you told me about the different types months ago."

"Well... my crew will be leaving for the Grand Line soon, so I could only teach and train you the basics within these next few months, Which are you most interested in?"

Luffy thought for a moment, before his eyes widened and he answered, "I think Conquerors is the most badass, but I think Observation would be most useful. If I can get to a level where I can predict the future, I'll be unbeatable."

Shanks rubbed his head at the thought. "Predicting the future, dammit Luffy that takes years of training. We don't have that long, but if you want I could teach you both Armament and Observation to a basic level."

"Armament and Observation, alright if you think that's the best course of action I'll do it." Nodding his head as he finished.

"Great, we will start training tomorrow, so get some sleep, it's going to be a very long day."

* * *

 _Ten years before present…_

Shanks stood before Luffy one last time and looked him in the eyes before saying, "Goodbye Luffy, you have learned what I could teach during this short time and you have come a very long way, remember to continue to train you haki, and when Garp comes back to ask him about the other types of Haki. He will teach you more."

"Goodbye Shanks, and just so you know… *Deep Breath* I WILL BE THE PIRATE KING!" Luffy screamed at the top of his lungs and unintentionally let loose a stream of Conquerors Haki, that probably reached the nobles of Goa Kingdom.

Shanks took one last long look at the child whom he gave his arm for. The child who he taught mostly everything he knew other than what lies in the Grand Line. (Luffy hates spoilers) It was during these final moments that Shanks decided. "Luffy, I want you to promise me… The next time we meet, you will be a great pirate."

"I won't just be a great pirate Shanks, I'll be the freest man in the world with the best crew who all strive for greatness. My crew will be the second crew ever to reach the end of the Grand Line, and we will do it in record time!" Luffy replied, with his face full of determination.

This caused Shanks, and every pirate on his ship to smirk, everything was ready to go, there was only one last thing he needed to do. "Alright Luffy, then its a promise, here... Give it back to me when you accomplish your dream." Shanks pushed the Straw Hat, his most prized possession onto Luffy's head.

Luffy told himself he wouldn't cry when shanks left, but the faith Shanks put into Luffy was too much… he couldn't stop the tears no matter how hard he tried.

* * *

 _2 months later…_

"I can't believe you want to be a pirate Luffy. This is all Red-Hair's fault, if he hadn't corrupted you, you would be the perfect marine." Garp declared while walking down a dirt path in the mountains.

"Don't talk bad about Shanks gramps, he saved my life. Not only that but he helped me learn to use my devil fruit and Haki."

Garp looked down at grandson beside him with wide eyes. He then grabbed his ears, picking him up off the ground and yelled, "HE TAUGHT YOU HAKI?! HOW PROFICIENT ARE YOU? WHAT FORMS CAN YOU USE?"

As Luffy struggled in his grip, he answered, "Shanks taught me about all three forms, but he only taught me a little bit of Armament and Observation." Garp dropped him hearing that and let out a silent sigh of relief. Luffy then continued, "That reminds me, Gramps can you help me get stronger? I want to be the strongest Pirate King ever!"

Garp smacked Luffy on the back of the head, nearly knocking off his Straw Hat, before asking, "Why would I help a kid become a pirate, Luffy? That would only bite me in the ass later in life."

"Well, I'm not just some kid, I'm your grandson. I also thought if you had to have a pirate in the family, he might as well be the strongest Pirate King ever don't you agree?"

"BWAHAHA, you want to be even stronger than Gold Roger himself? Fine Luffy, you will need all the help you can get."

Hearing this, Luffy jumped up and down with joy, before replying, "Really? Thanks you, gramps I promise to be even stronger than the Pirate King!"

"So Luffy, I heard from the mayor in Foosha Village, that your devil fruit is quite destructive. What type is it?"

The question stopped Luffy's jumping and made him catch up to Garp. He then answered, "Shanks told me a Mythical Zoan, the rarest devil fruit in the world! He called it the Tenshi Tenshi no mi. He also taught me how to use a sword and his own personal style!" Luffy finished enthusiastically as he continued to follow Garp through the forest.

Garp had a small smile and scratched his beard as he stated, "A Mythical Zoan, huh, alright I can work with that. Tomorrow we will start training, we will work on your Haki and I'll also teach you some techniques that I think you will enjoy."

"Thanks, gramps with your help finding the One Piece shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

 _8 months later…_

On the edge of Dawn Island, two boys sat on a cliff overlooking the East Blue. Although it is a beautiful day in the weakest sea in the world, it's also a dark day for these two brothers, as they are suffering from the loss of their best friend and brother. Someone who changed both of their lives forever, taken away before his time by a so-called "god" of the World Government.

Ace looked over to luffy and declared, "Luffy quit crying, our brother might be gone, but I promise I'll never die. You hear me Luffy? Sabo might not have been able to experience freedom, but that only means we will have to make up for him. We have to live our lives without regret, and live as free as possible, no matter who hates or tries to stop us."

"Uh Huh," A sniffling Luffy replied, still holding back tears from his bloodshot eyes. "I want to get stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger until I'm so strong, I won't lose anyone else again!" Luffy announced, eyes still watery but with a newfound determination.

"That's right Luffy, I'll be leaving in 7 years, but before that, we both need to get stronger. So we can both be free and follow our dreams, without anyone stopping us." Ace said, before pulling Luffy back into the forest.

* * *

 _Ten years later…_

"Uhhh, I'm so hungry. If only I kept the Lord of the Coast when I punched him. I'd have some meat!" Luffy said as his stomach roared. Luffy had been drifting for 3 days, and although he knew how to navigate, he forgot to ask what direction the closest island was to Dawn Island. Cursing himself for his short-sightedness, Luffy slumped over the side of his dingy, hoping to see anything to catch and eat.

After a couple of hours (which seemed like an eternity), Luffy smelled something delicious on the air. Seeing as he had not seen a single fish, Luffy deciding to abandon his dingy. He picked up his pipe that Sabo gave him and used Moon Walk to follow the smell to its source. After another 30 minutes or so, Luffy could see 2 ships on the horizon. Quickening his pace, Luffy finally reached the Liner, where the delectable aroma originated from.

Confused as to why the Liner was abandoned, Luffy focused his Observation, only to notice that only pirates remain. Every civilian was fleeing the ship in fear of their life. Not one to pass up a golden opportunity for free food, Luffy rushed to the Ballroom of the ship. Only to find a band of pirates stealing his food.

"Hey assholes, that's my food! If you take a single piece of meat from this ship, I will beat the shit out of all of you!" Luffy announced as he walked towards the pirates.

"He doesn't look like one of the civilians.." One of the pirates said.

"Might as well rob him too." Another one added with a smile on his face...

"If you think you can stop us, you are even dumber than you look." The pirate said looking back at his friends and pulling out their swords.

"Shave..." Luffy whispered and appeared in front of the door the pirates were about to use.

When the pirates looked back at Luffy, they realized he had vanished from sight. Thinking they had scared the kid off, they picked up the goods and started walking towards the door.

"I thought I told you, not to take a single piece of food from this ship," Luffy declared darkly as his straw hat hid his eyes. Faster than the eye could recognize, all the pirates in the room were unconscious, foaming at the mouth and dropping all the goods and gold they were carrying.

"Well, I might as well take out the rest of 'em. I don't want any interruptions during my meal." Luffy said with a smile on his face while pushing open both doors on the port side, where the pirate ship was docked. Only to see a Jolly Roger, with a sideways skull and a heart.

 **Note- This is my first Story, so any helpful reviews on how to improve would be appreciated. Thanks**

 **Jake Jake no mi- Jacket Jacket Devil Fruit**


	2. The First Nakama

**Sorry, I forgot to put translations in the last chapter.**

 **Tenshi Tenshi no mi= Angel Angel Devil Fruit**

 **This DF was inspired by Marcos Phoenix fruit and the Angel Uriel, the angel who guards the Garden of Eden.**

 **Disclaimer... I don't own One Piece.**

 **Actions**

 _"Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

When Luffy jumped onto the deck of the pirate ship, he immediately noticed there were no pirates on the deck. Deciding to see how many people he would have to deal with. Luffy focused his observation haki on both the ocean liner and the pirate ship. Seeing as there were only about thirty auras in total and all of them being below the deck, other than the ones he knocked out. Luffy decided to find the largest aura, assuming to be the Captain of the ship. Once below deck, Luffy knocked out two unsuspecting guards, with a swing of his pipe to back to their heads.

Continuing down the hallway towards the sizeable aura, he was led to a storage room. In this room, Luffy found someone he wasn't expecting, a small, pudgy pink haired kid.

"Hey kid, what's your name?" Luffy asked the boy.

"What are you doing here, this is a pirate ship you know. If they find you, they will kill you, or worse make you into a cabin boy." The kid replied, obviously terrified of the pirates on this ship.

"I know this is a pirate ship, but you didn't answer my question. What's your name?"

"What? Oh, my name is Koby. I'm a cabin boy on this ship." He said while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "What's your name?" Koby asked the strange guy with the Straw Hat.

"Me? I am Monkey D. Luffy, future Pirate King. Nice to meetcha!" Luffy answered with a large grin.

"P-Pi-Pi-Pirate King! You want to be the Pirate King? No way, that's not possible! You will be killed before you even make it to the Grand Line- Ouch! Why did you hit me?" Koby asked, while rubbing the sizeable lump on his head.

"I hit you because you said I couldn't accomplish my dream. I decided to be the Pirate King and it doesn't matter if I die on my journey. As long as I die fighting to become the Pirate King, I'll be happy." Luffy declared with a smile on his face.

Stunned by this man's' resolve, Koby began to think, _"If he believes he can make his dream a reality, is mine possible as well?"_ Koby then turned to Luffy and asked, "Luffy, do you think my dream is possible also? It's not as grandiose as yours, but most would say its just as crazy."

"How should I know? What's your dream?" Luffy asked while munching on an apple he found in a crate.

"I want to become a Navy Admiral! It's been my dream ever since childhood. Do you think it's possible?" Unknown to Koby, this caused his aura to grow and fluctuate in strength.

Luffy seeing this kid had the potential to do anything he wanted in this world, he decided to give him the fire to accomplish his dream. "Anything is possible in this world, Koby. As long as you are dedicated to your dream, then it can be accomplished. Just remember your only limitation is yourself."

"But, we will be enemies. We will have to fight each other." Koby said, disappointed by this realization.

"Koby, do you hate me?"

"No, I don't hate you."

"Are we friends?"

"Yes, we are friends."

"Then you have nothing to worry about, we will always be friends as long as you remember your dream and this day. Even If we are on opposite sides of the law." Luffy replied with a smile.

"So this is the man who took out some of my crew. Koby, why are you talking to him, shouldn't you always be with me?" At the sound of this persons' voice, Koby started to cower in fear.

When Luffy turned around, he laid his eyes on the fattest person he'd ever seen. Even bigger than Luck Roo and Dadan, which is saying a lot. "Who are you?" A bewildered Luffy asked while staring at the massive person.

"BOYS, Whose the beautiful woman in the all of the seas?" the behemoth of a "woman," asked the men behind her.

"You, Alvida-sama." Every man behind her said obediently, while Koby was cowering still in fear.

"YOU'RE A WOMAN?!" A baffled Luffy then looked to Koby. "Koby, are you alright?"

"KOBY, didn't you hear me. WHO IS THE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN ON THE ALL OF THE SEAS?" Alvida screamed at the boy and looked at him expectantly.

Only now had Koby picked his head up from the floor. He first looked at Alvida, then to Luffy, and had another realization. _"If I want to be a Marine, much less an Admiral, I can't cower to pirates. I must stand up for myself because no one else will."_ Koby stood up and with his knees still shaking, he screamed, "ALVIDA, IS THE BIGGEST AND UGLIEST WHALE IN THE ENTIRE EAST BLUE!"

"Shishishishi" Luffy laughed while pointing at Alvida.

"Why you little brat!" Alvida said putting her mace on her shoulder. "So, you finally decided to grow a pair. I guess it's time to get rid of you." Just as Alvida turned to Koby, Luffy appeared in front of him.

While looking at Koby, Luffy pat his shoulder. "That was Hilarious, Koby. Let me take it from here." Luffy said while turning around to deal with the mace falling straight towards his head. Moving his body out of the way of the over-head swing, he watched as the mace hit Alvidas' shin and hearing a distinct crack of bones. Watching her jump up and down from the self-inflicted injury, Luffy could swear the whole ship was bouncing along with her. Quickly getting bored of this, Luffy decided to finish the rest of the pirates in a single blow. As Alvida was hobbling towards the doorway, Luffy punched her in the back with some of his strength, only to send her and her crew twinkling away in the sky.

Koby looked at the hole in disbelief, before tarring his eyes away and to Luffy. "I can't believe you beat them all, with a single punch!" Koby turned back to the large hole in the ship, where the woman who had terrorized his life for the last three years was just jettisoned, somewhere into the sky.

"Now that that's over... Koby, do you know where that whale kept her navigation equipment, maps, compass, anything?"

"Yes, she kept her logbook and maps in her quarters."

"Great, can you get it for me? I'm going to get food for our voyage to the next island."

"Yes Luffy-sama, I'll get it right away." Koby then tried to hurry out the door only to be stopped by Luffy with another hand on his shoulder.

"Koby." Luffy gave him a glare. "I'm not holding you hostage, remember we are friends," Luffy finished with a smile. "I also don't think the marines would recruit a kid that they found on a pirate ship, do you?"

"No, you're right. Ok, I'll be right back with the map and compass."

"Great, I'll go get the food from the Liner and we will be on our way." Luffy replied, already salivating at the thought of food.

* * *

It took Luffy twenty minutes to get to the dingy, and not because of the massive bag of food he was carrying on his shoulder. But because he found a meat pyramid that looked to be glistening with gold, and he just couldn't help himself. Although, when he got to the dingy, Koby had already circled the closest island on the map and knew which direction to go. Lowering the dingy into the blue, Luffy hopped in and they were on their way.

After awhile, Koby got bored which wasn't surprising considering there isn't much to do on the open seas, so he decided to make small talk. "Luffy, how are you going to be the Pirate King without a crew?

"Shishishishi, of course I don't have a crew yet, I just started my journey, but I hope to find my first nakama soon, maybe on the next island."

After a few minutes, Luffy asked, "So Koby, what is the Island we're heading to?"

"According to this map, the closest Island is called Yotsuba Island, and it is about two days from where Alvida attacked that Sea Liner."

"Well then, I'm glad I got this much food. Otherwise, I would starve." Luffy said with a grin on his face.

"Luffy, you need to be careful on this next island."

"Why is that?" Luffy asked while already eating a piece of meat from the massive sack of food.

"Well, I heard the best swordsman in the East Blue made it his base. I also heard that he's a bounty hunter. Alvida was terrified he would come after her bounty soon."

"Well, it's good I don't have a bounty then right." Luffy replied with a smile. "By the way, what is this swordsman's name?"

"Roronoa Zoro, from what the pirates said, he is a demon who wields three swords at once."

Luffy looked into the distance, with stars in his eyes. "Three swords! That's so cool!"

"No, it isn't Luffy! He might kill you when he learns your a pirate. You can't talk to hi-Ouch! Why did you hit me?" Koby asked now sporting to large lumps on his head.

"Because." Luffy said matter of factly.

Due to Luffy's incredible appetite, the massive sack of food only lasted a day and a half, much to Koby's surprise. Finally, on the second day, Luffy and Koby made it to Shells town, in the Yotsuba Islands. "Koby, let's go get some lunch at a bar. I'm Starving!" Luffy said as his stomach growled so loud it scared a few of the townspeople close by.

"How can you eat so much?" Koby questioned under his breath.

Ignoring his question in favor of finding food, Luffy hurried to the only bar in town. Hoping to not only find food but this famous swordsman as well.

When Luffy and Koby entered the bar, Luffy immediately found a stool at the bar and ordered ten plates of meat and a bottle of Sake. Koby took the stool next to Luffy and started eyeing one of his plates of meat. Which Luffy noticed, and simply slid over a plate for him to eat. Luffy finished his nine plates in the time it took Koby to eat his, and when he finished, he looked around the bar for this three sword swordsman. Not seeing the man he wanted to meet, he asked the lady behind the counter, "Hey barkeep, I heard there was a famous bounty hunter on this island, named Roronoa Zoro." The second the swordsman's name left his mouth, every patron in the bar recoiled in fear. Which confused Luffy greatly.

A little girl then came from behind the counter and sat right next to Luffy and said, "Zoro was arrested for killing the pet wolf of Captain Morgan's son, Helmeppo. Helmeppo released the wolf on the town and it attacked our bar and me because I had a plate of food in my hands, so he killed it to save my life. Helmeppo arrested him, and then made a bet with him."

"Which was?" Luffy asked while taking a few pulls from his bottle of sake.

"If Zoro could survive this entire month without eating any food, all charges would be dropped. But I overheard Helmeppo bragging to some marines, saying he would kill him after the thirty days was up anyway. I wish I could save him, but every time I've told him, he doesn't believe me."

"How long has it been since?"

"He's been starving for twenty-three days." The girl said with tears in her eyes.

"Where is he being held?" Koby asked the girl.

"In the courtyard of the base, but if you are going to see him, can you bring him these rice balls? I worked really hard on them and was going to bring them today anyway."

"Alright, I'll go. Koby, you can stay here if you want. I'll probably start some trouble, so just a warning." Luffy said taking the three balls of rice and started heading towards the door.

"I'm coming too!" Koby said rushing to follow Luffy out of the establishment.

"I thought you didn't want to be a pirate Koby, what's with the sudden change of heart?" Luffy asked the pink-haired boy.

"I just want to see the man that kept Alvida up at night." Luffy recognized the lie but didn't call him out on it. This might be good for him to see a marine captain, who is mad with power, and extremely corrupt.

"Alright, but stay back... I don't want you to get caught up in the fray." Luffy said looking down at Koby, only to see his head down in contemplation.

"Luffy, can I ask you a question?"

"You don't need my permission, Koby. Whats up?"

"I thought The Marines were supposed to be the good guys, but the people in this town they are so afraid of the marines who protect them. How could someone who follows justice, become so... so..corrupt?" Koby asked, with his eyes still on the path ahead of them.

"Koby, you have to remember...Marines are people too. There are good ones and bad ones, just like there are good and bad pirates or even good and bad parents." Luffy answered while thinking about Daden.

The two walked in silence for a while, before coming up on a large gated compound. Walking around the perimeter, they found a broken part of the wall. Which looked to have been broken by cannon-fire. Looking through the sizeable hole, a man was tied to a cross. He had a green bandana covering the top of his head and his eyes were shadowed.

Koby looked in awe and fear of the man, who was said to have been starving for the last twenty-three days, but looked as though he fight an entire pirate crew. Koby looked over to where he thought Luffy was, only to see nothing but air beside him. Looking back to the swordsman, there was Luffy standing right in front of the pirate hunter.

"Hey, you hungry? I got some rice balls for you to eat." Luffy asked to the starving swordsman in front of him.

The man lifted his head and opened an eye to look at Luffy and said, "Get lost pole guy, I don't need any food."

"Oh yeah? Then I'll eat it myself." Luffy said while bringing one of the rice balls slowly, and agonizingly closer to his mouth.

When Zoro finally smelled the fresh rice balls, even Koby could hear his stomach growl in desperate need. "Fine, give em' to me."

"Here..." Luffy said putting the rice balls, one at a time in Zoro's mouth.

"Why is there sugar on these rice balls? I thought you were supposed to use salt..." Zoro asked still chewing the last ball.

"Shishishishi, I didn't make them. A little girl at the bar in town did. You will have to ask her."

"Alright thanks for the food, now get the hell out of here, pipe guy. I only have seven days left before I win this bet." Zoro finished with a determined look on his face, but only then did Zoro notice the bottle of sake in his right hand.

Noticing the swordsman eyeing his sake, Luffy asked, "Do you want a couple pulls, before I go?" Shaking the bottle and the sake inside.

Zoro looked towards the gate, then back toward Luffy, and nodded his head.

Putting the bottle to his mouth and slowly tilting, Luffy decided to tell him Helmeppo's plan. "Zoro... About this bet..."

Zoro took a couple mouth fulls from the bottle then after a couple seconds he asked, "What about it?"

"I overheard some guards on the way out of town... They said that you are going to be executed even if you win this bet."

Hearing this caused Zoro's eyes to widen, "That little piece of shit when I get my hands on him, I'm going to tear him a new asshole!" Zoro stated seething with anger. Luffy could see the crazy amount of bloodlust that was radiating off of this man. It reminded him of the tiger in the jungles of Dawn Island.

"I can free you, but you only have to do one thing for me..."

"Ha, I expected a catch, so what do you want?" Zoro asked with a smirk.

"I want you to join my pirate crew." Luffy declared sporting a large grin, before taking a pull of sake himself.

Zoro's face faltered a bit, "Join your crew huh, and is that pink haired kid also in your crew?" Zoro asked, looking behind Luffy at Koby.

Luffy turning to see Koby, clearly sticking his head out in full view of the compound.

"Nah he isn't, he just wanted to see a corrupt marine. But, you would be my first mate and Vice-captain. The only thing I'd ever make you do is to follow your dream, no matter how crazy it is." Luffy stated with a wide grin.

"Vice-captain huh, what would stop me from just turning you in after you free me?"

"Other than the fact that I don't have a bounty yet, I always heard swordsmen have a code of honor... Or is that just lie?"

"Its true, fine I'll join your crew... But If you ever show weakness, I'll kill you myself." Zoro said grinning wildly. "Go get my swords, then I'll be able to cut these ropes.

"Great! But before I go, I have one last thing to ask you... What is your dream?"

"My dream... Has always been to be the world's greatest swordsman. Crazy right?" Zoro asked with a sly grin.

"Shishishishi, the King of Pirates would require nothing less," Luffy answered before vanishing from sight.

Zoro's eyes widened, before closing with a smile. "The King of Pirates huh, maybe I'm not so crazy after all,"

Luffy reappeared beside Koby, "Koby, marines are coming this way, stay out of sight and don't make a sound... Alright?" Luffy ordered.

"Alright, I'll watch from here," Koby replied, looking a slightly scared.

"Great, I'll be back soon," Luffy said before Moonwalking towards the top of the marine base, baffling Koby at this seemingly impossible feat.

Just as Luffy said, two marines and a teen with a terrible haircut showed up less than a minute later. Koby couldn't hear every word the teen said, but by his body language, he was gloating to the swordsman. After a small conversation and the swordsman obviously angering the teen, then Helmeppo ordered the guards to beat the swordsman for his words. This beating went on for what seemed like minutes before Helmeppo finally told the marines to stop, the beaten and bloody swordsman spit a wad of blood in Helmeppo's face causing him to nearly throw up in disgust when the red liquid splattered on his face and expensive clothing.

"Now, I need to change my wardrobe, peasant. Guards, follow me to my quarters. Daddy should be finished with the ceremony soon, then he'll deal with you." Helmeppo announced with disgust towards Zoro.

Helmeppo and the guards quickly left the compound and went towards the entrance to the base.

* * *

In a few seconds, Luffy reached the top of the Marine base, he was greeted by the sight of a hundred or so marines trying to erect a large statue of a man. Some of the marines noticed the flying man in the straw hat and dropped the rope connected to the statue in shock and disbelief. Without every marine pulling with all their might, the statue fell. Breaking in half, and crushing a third of the marines on the roof under its weight.

Seeing as he has already caused some chaos, Luffy dropped to the front of the base and focused his Observation on the floors below the roof. He quickly noticed three auras on the second floor and a familiar aura on the sixth floor. Luffy quickly climbed the stairs and headed towards the three auras. He then rounded a corner only to quickly step back into the shadows, because the three auras, a kid and two Marines left a room and were heading his way. Luffy overheard the kid talk about how nice the "trophies" in his room are, which immediately got Luffy's attention. The three walked past him without even a glance in his direction.

Going to the door those three just left, Luffy kicked it open and quickly scanned the room. His eyes then spotted the three katana, a beautiful white katana, which looked to be extremely valuable and two average looking blades underneath it. Taking all three swords, Luffy decided to just break through the window overlooking the compound for a quicker escape.

* * *

When Luffy landed in the compound, he heard the distinct sound of a siren, alarming every remaining marine to the presence of intruders. Luffy quickly used shave to get to Zoro as fast as possible. Luffy appeared in front of Zoro much to the latter's surprise and cleanly cut the ropes restraining the man. Once Zoro got his bearings and got to his feet, Luffy gave him his katana.

Looking back at the marines now flooding the compound, Luffy turned back to Zoro and said, "Zoro, it's time to see what you can do. I only have one order, If he's a corrupt marine, he's a dead one. Got it?"

Zoro gave him a wicked smile while radiating bloodlust and replied, "Got it, Captain."

"Oh Zoro, one last thing."

Saying this stopped Zoro in his tracks and he looked back to Luffy. "What is it?"

"My name is Luffy, Shishishishi, now let's have some fun!" Luffy said looking at the marines who had surrounded them and were aiming their rifles. Right after that Luffy grabbed his pipe from its place on his back and disappeared. When Luffy reappeared with his pipe dripping with blood, he turned to see the bloody and broken bodies of marines left in his wake.

Looking to see the damage Zoro has caused, Luffy saw him cut down the last marine in his path, before facing the strongest marine in the base, Captain Morgan. Deciding this would be fun to watch, Luffy concentrated his observation on the auras of the cannon fodder around the compound, and used a small blast of Conqueror's Haki, to knock them out.

* * *

Captain Morgan was furious, not only was his statue destroyed because of a "flying" man with a straw hat, every marine in the base was now either dead or out cold. "All of you are worthless and pathetic! If any of you are still conscious, I ORDER YOU TO SLIT YOUR THROATS!" Morgan screamed at his marines, but not getting any responses. Morgan looked at the man, no demon in front of him, and could only see one red eye from under his bandana. Morgan finally understood the situation he was in, and even Koby could smell the piss in his pants.

Seeing as they were all alone, Zoro let his bloodlust rage. It being the largest Luffy had seen, he actually got excited, although he knew Zoro would win... This would be a good test to see how strong Zoro really was.

After a few seconds of silence, Zoro mumbled **"Oni Giri"** and moved faster than the eye could blink. He was right on the hulking marine, and with three slashes the marine fell, showering the ground in blood. After three seconds, his axe landed right beside his head, lodged in the ground.

Luffy walked over to the marine captain and flipped him over. He wanted to see where he was cut and how deep, but something caught his eye. Luffy looked towards the marine base and saw a long and deep gash, which wasn't there before the attack. He then looked at the wall of the courtyard and saw a similar gash. Looking back down at the marine captain, the man was already dead, his neck and having been cleaved completely through. The Marine's arms were cut off as well.

Luffy then walked to where Zoro and Koby were waiting for him, outside the compound and Zoro said with a satisfied grin, "So, where to next Captain?"


	3. Arrival at Orange Town

**Disclaimer... I don't own One Piece.**

 **Actions**

 _"Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

"Here Luffy, you left your bottle of sake," Koby said, giving Luffy his remaining third of a bottle.

"Ah thank you, Koby. I completely forgot," Luffy replied before taking a small pull and adding, "But I think Zoro deserves it more, don't you?" Putting the sake bottle in front of Zoro as they walked into town.

"What do you mean?" Asked Koby before giving him a once over and noticing the bullet wound on his arm.

"AHH, Zoro you have a bullet in your arm! You have to go to a doctor fast!"

"Don't worry Koby, I'll be fine for now. It's not my first bullet after all." Zoro stated, shrugging his right arm and taking the offered sake from Luffy, chugging a good amount himself.

"So, where to now?" Zoro asked as they were nearing the coast.

"We are heading back to the bar to get you some food, other than rice. Then we need to get some supplies so we can make it to the next island." Luffy answered before turning to Koby. "Koby, we'll need to part ways on this island. I assume Zoro and I will be considered criminals by the time those marines wake up."

"Ok, that's fine. I guess I never thanked you for saving me on that pirate ship. So thanks Luffy, I thought I would die on that ship." Koby replied while looking at Luffy with respect and appreciation.

Zoro looked at Luffy and asked, "That reminds me, Luffy, when we were fighting those marines, you disappeared and most were beaten, and the others just passed out. How did you knock out those marines? You didn't even move and they all dropped like flies."

"That was something called, Haoshoku Haki or some know it as Conquerer's Haki. It is a manifestation of willpower in the form of intimidation. I'll tell you more about it when we leave this island."

"You were able to knock out trained marines, just by intimidating them!? That's...impressive... How many people can you intimidate at once?" Koby asked just before they entered the bar.

"I don't know exactly. I've never found the limit to the power. But if I had to put a number on it, I would say easily more than a hundred thousand people about the same strength of those marines Zoro and I just fought. I assume it also depends on how well I can use the other forms of Haki." Luffy answered before sitting at a table in the back of the bar.

"If you can use it on that many people, calling it Conqueror's Haki is self-explanatory. But I'd assume it's rare, otherwise, the average person could overthrow a nation pretty easily." Zoro stated, looking towards the bar, before seeing the little girl who made the riceballs rushing over.

"You are correct Zoro, and If I remember correctly that specific form of Haki, is only attainable for those with the qualities of a king, otherwise only one in around five million can use it."

"Zoro! Oh no, you're injured, come on I'll get momma to stitch you up." The little girl said with a smile, before leading Zoro to the back of the bar.

"Luffy, you said before we entered the bar, something about other forms of Haki, how many are there?" Koby asked Luffy.

"There are 3 forms in total, Presence, Fighting Spirit, and Intimidation. Kenbunshoku, Busoshoku, Haoshoku or Observation, Armament, and Conquerors. The first two are accessible to every living thing in the world, although most don't awaken it in life. If they do it is just before death."

"So, I can learn these techniques too?" Koby inquired in disbelief.

"Yes, you can, and will especially if you want to be a Navy Admiral." Luffy replied to Koby, whose facelifted considerably at the thought.

"How do I learn these techniques?"

"Strenuous training and disciplining the mind, one must be acutely aware of his surroundings, but that is only for Armament and Observation. Conqueror's Haki can't be attained by training, it just happens naturally. Though it can be strengthened by training." Luffy stated before seeing Zoro emerge from the back of the bar, with a bandage on his right arm.

"They fix you up?" Luffy asked Zoro as he walked back.

"Yeah, but I had to dig the bullet out myself. " Zoro replied before sitting back down at the table. "What were you two talking about?"

"I just told him the basics of Haki, I'll tell you the details when we leave the island," Luffy said before waving over the little girl and pulling out his remaining 50,000 berries. "I need whatever Zoro wants to eat, and as much food as we can get with this," Luffy said and handed the girl the sack of gold. The look on the child's face was pure elation at the amount of berries in her hands.

"Luffy are you sure, you should spend all your berries on food here? You might need some later." Koby asked.

"Nah, I'm sure we'll be fine. I just hope it's enough food to last us until we reach the next island."

"Luffy, what is the next Island we are going to?" Zoro asked as plates of Sea King meat and greens found its way in front of him.

Luffy pulled out a map of the surrounding islands, "Let me check... ummm, we are going to the Organ Islands, but the only marked location on this map is Orange Town. So we'll head there."

"Just as I thought. Luffy, I heard a pirate crew took over the town a few months back. Their captain has the second largest bounty in the East Blue, with a 15 million berri bounty." Zoro stated before digging into the full course meal in front of him.

"15 MILLION! Alvida only had a 5 million berri bounty. That guy must be a monster." Koby replied, imagining what this criminal could be like.

Seeing Koby's reaction, Luffy turned to Zoro and asked, "What's his name?"

Nearly finished with his first plate, Zoro slowed down and cleared his throat with some sake. "Ah, that hit the spot. The pirate's name is Buggy the Clown. I heard he was a Grand Line pirate long ago, but settled here."

"Buggy...Buggy... I swear I've heard that name before. Doesn't matter, we are heading there anyway." Luffy declared with a grin.

* * *

An hour went by, Luffy and Zoro left the bar and were on their way. Zoro with a few bottles of sake in each hand, and Luffy with a giant sack of food on his shoulder. When they reached the Dingy, Zoro laughed for a good minute before trailing off. "I shouldn't have expected anything else."

"Don't worry it's not permanent. We will find something better soon." Luffy said as he pushed the moored dingy into the sea. It would take around three days before they would reach the island and that's with the right winds and catching currents. "Zoro, we will switch off on paddling every so often, but you start first. I need to get us going in the right direction." Luffy said as he was looking back and forth between the map and compass.

After a good hour of rowing, Zoro felt the wind pick up, while putting down the sails he asked, "So Luffy, what else about this Haki did you want to tell me about?"

"Well, there are three known types of Haki. Observation or Kenbunshoku is when you discipline your mind and are extremely attuned to the environment around you. It lets someone sense emotions and accurately predict someone's movements before they can even put the thought into action. Those who practice this form for years can even predict the immediate future."

"That sounds incredible, what about the others?"

"Next is Armament or Busoshoku, this lets the user create an invisible armor around the body, which can even be applied to weapons, observe." Luffy then pulled his pipe off his back and held it in front of him, the gray steel became covered by a purplish black reflective paint. "This is Armament Haki and when applied to weapons, it makes it nearly unbreakable and can even bypass devil fruit powers. These two are accessible to every living thing in the world."

"Devil Fruit? I've faced two users before. They were extremely overconfident in their abilities." Zoro stated while resting his arm on one of the paddles.

"Most are unfortunately, but I'll tell you about devil fruit after I am finished with Haki."

"Last is Conqueror's or Haoshoku Haki, as you heard earlier only one in around five million people are capable of this ability. It isn't attainable by training but can be improved with the correct training. It is said, those with this form of Haki have the qualities to be a King or Queen."

"I don't see how it can compare to Observation or Armament though, It just seems useful to knock out large numbers of weak opponents." Zoro declared, nearly losing interest and was about to start rowing again.

"I thought the same when I was learning all of this, but Conqueror's can be applied to the other two forms."

"How so?" This caught Zoro's attention again.

"When combined with Observation, a user can pick out specific people to incapacitate. This can also significantly improve the distance, users can intimidate people or things. When combined with Armament, the Haki will be exponentially more powerful. It can even cause damage to the environment around you, which some people refer to as 'Pressure'."

"I see, I stand corrected. That sounds very valuable. So what about devil fruit?"

"Alright, so Devil fruit are some of the rarest treasures the sea has to offer. They are apparently incarnations of sea devils, and in return for their powers the devils take your ability to swim."

"That can't be true. Sea Devils don't exist." Zoro replied while opening a bottle of sake with a **pop**.

"I don't know about any Sea Devils, but I know I can't swim anymore," Luffy spoke looking out onto the sea.

"Wait, you ate a devil fruit? What is it?" Zoro asked, looking at Luffy in disbelief.

"The Devil Fruit I ate, is among the rarest and most powerful in the entire world, A Mythical Zoan. From what I've been told, only two other people in the entire world have a devil fruit like mine."

"Mythical Zoan? What makes it so special?"

"I'll show you." Luffy smiled, stood up in the dingy and announced, **"Repentance"**. A golden halo consumed in white flames appeared over Luffy head, and he continued, "This is my hybrid form."

Then Luffy announced, **"The Ninth Circle."** A blinding light then enveloped Luffy for a second. When the light faded, Zoro could finally see what made this devil fruit 'Mythical'. Luffy had what looked to be angel wings, that were about six feet long each. He still had the golden halo which is above his head and overwhelmed with a raging white flame. It was so intense, the water around the dingy started to steam and Zoro started to sweat because of the absurd heat. "This is my fully transformed form," Luffy declared before reverting back to his base form and sitting back down.

"I can manipulate and control a special kind of fire. I call it "Holy Fire", and ever since I ate the fruit I haven't been burned by anything. So, I assume I'm immune to fire. Although on Dawn Island, I couldn't really test that theory."

"What is it called?" Zoro asked Luffy, still in awe of his transformation.

"I've taken to calling it the Tenshi Tenshi no mi. But if you were to classify the fruit, I guess it would be Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Tenshi. Or something like that."

"I see, so what about the other devil fruits?"

Luffy then stated, "Generally, there are three main types of devil fruit: Zoan, Paramecia, and Logia. Paramecia which are the most common, allow the user to alter their body, manipulate the environment, or even produce substances. Zoans which are also pretty common, they allow the user to transform into another species completely or into a hybrid form like I showed you earlier. Logias are widely considered the rarest and most powerful devil fruit in the world. These fruits allow the user to control, create an element, or force of nature at will. However what makes those devil fruit so powerful is the common trait that nearly every logia has, intangibility. Which is where Armament Haki comes in. It is the only sure-fire way to beat logia in a fight."

"Then when I fought those two users, One was a Paramecia, and the other was a Zoan."

"What were their abilities?" Luffy asked, intrigued by other users in the East Blue.

"This crazy woman could grow out her nails, and make them into razor-sharp claws. I guess that was a Paramecia, and the Zoan user could turn into a massive bear. It would actually impressive if they weren't trying to kill me." Zoro answered with a grin.

"So, if there are three types then how is your devil fruit considered 'Mythical', other than the obvious?"

"Well, Zoans are special, there are three subcategories on top of the type itself. From what gramps told me those are: Carnivorous, Ancient, and Mythical."

"Alright, I'm starting to get the picture. So, how do I learn Armament? That seems to be extremely useful especially for a swordsman, especially to fight these users effectively."

"The first thing you need is complete confidence in your strength and abilities. Then you need to put your will, fighting spirit, and all of your strength into a single body part. This will project the haki. Projecting your Armament Haki is called, Armament Hardening. Which is the black-like paint that covered my pipe. But this takes time, training and practice to use efficiently."

"Alright, so what your saying is I'm not ready," Zoro replied with a smirk.

"Yes, but you don't need to learn it yet, I doubt we will run into many users in this blue. But when we get to the Grand Line, it will become a priority."

"So, you said your Grandfather taught you all this. Who is he? He must be powerful." Zoro asked before chugging some of his sake.

"His name is Monkey D. Garp, he is a Vice Admiral in the Marines."

This caused Zoro to do a spit take and cough for a few seconds, "Your Grandfather is Monkey D. Garp the Legendary Hero of the marines! I can see how you are so strong then." Zoro said before switching seats with Luffy.

* * *

 _Two Days later_

It was nearing mid-day and both Luffy and Zoro were doing their own thing. Zoro was napping off his sake, while Luffy was eating some dried meat from the now moderately sized bag. Suddenly, Luffy noticed thirty or so auras slowly getting closer. "Zoro, wake up. We are at Orange Town." Luffy said slightly kicking Zoro's foot.

"Huh, I thought you said it would take three days." Zoro said, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"I thought we would hit a storm at least, but we have also had the wind in our sails nearly the entire time. So, we made a great time. Just get ready for a fight, we are going to steal their stash." Luffy replied while plotting the course for the next island, which just happened to be Syrup Village. Where Yasopp said his son lives.

As they got closer to the island, Luffy noticed it was completely abandoned. Which wasn't surprising considering pirates took over the island. When they landed on the island Luffy wondered out loud, "I wonder why they are using so many explosives. Are they just destroying to destroy?"

Zoro then looked at Luffy and asked, "Why don't we go ask them? I'm sure they have a reason."

Then out of nowhere a woman being chased by four pirates came sprinting down the street.

"Get back here bitch!" The biggest and slowest of the pirates screamed.

Seeing this Luffy asked Zoro, "Should we help her?"

"I don't know, she looks like she has it handled. I doubt those pirates will catch her."

"Your just lazy, she might give us a compensation or something for saving her."

"I doubt that too"

"Fine, you stay here. I'll be right back." Luffy said before vanishing into thin air, leaving an afterimage.

Zoro watched the afterimage fade away, before finding a shady spot beside a building and muttering, "I really need to ask him how he does that."

* * *

Luffy decided to step out of an alleyway in front of the woman. Which caused her to trip and fall in surprise. "Do you need some help?" Luffy asked the woman expecting a straight answer. By now the pirates had almost caught up and were pulling out their swords.

Instead of the straight answer, she said "Thank God, boss I knew I would find you here. Here is your treasure map, I'll see ya later." She gave Luffy a piece of paper from her shirt that had a clown Jolly Roger on it, a wink and smile before bolting down the alleyway Luffy emerged from.

"So, you're that bitch's boss, huh. Buggy the Clown would like a word with you. "The fat one said, while the others circled Luffy.

Luffy decided to play along because why not, this might be entertaining. He announced, " Yeah, I'm her boss and she's not a bitch. If Buggy wants to talk, he'll have to come himself. I'm a busy man, so I'm sure he'd understand that I don't have time for bullshit."

"You fucking prick!" The biggest pirate screamed attacking the man in the Straw Hat, soon followed by the others.

* * *

When Nami got onto the roof to watch the exchange, she expected to see the guy in the Straw Hat beaten and dragged off to Buggy's camp. Much to her surprise, the four pirates were already knocked out, but even more surprising the guy in the Straw Hat was looking straight at her with a large grin plastered on his face. He then asked, "Hey what's your name?"

A little hesitant to answer, Nami mustered up some courage and jumped down from the roof. She then replied, "I'm Nami. Who are you?"

"Me? My name is Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meetcha!" Luffy answered with his large smile. Only for his stomach to growl rather loudly. "Ahhh, I'm hungry. Hey Nami, do you have any food? Its been a while since I ate." Luffy asked while holding his stomach and slouching a little.

Caught a little off guard by this, Nami agreed and took Luffy to an abandoned house, one she was using as a base of sorts. As soon as the door was shut, Luffy was rummaging through the cabinets looking for something to eat. Finding this amusing, Nami pulled Luffy away from the kitchen and sat him at a table. After a few minutes, she came back a loaf of bread with some meats and cheeses. As soon as the platter was on the table, Luffy dug in.

"This is so good! Did you make this?"Luffy asked Nami, before shoving more meat into his mouth.

"No, I stole it from the pirates in this town. Their captain might have a large bounty, but the crew isn't very smart." Nami replied, still watching the slightly disturbing sight of this man eating.

Luffy finished the platter, then said, "Well, that's expected from a crew whose captain is a clown. Shishishishi" Luffy laughed clearly amused with himself.

"I guess you're right, Luffy I forgot to ask. Why are you in this town? It's clearly abandoned." Nami asked, interested in his answer.

"I'm here to steal from Buggy." Luffy replied with a blank face.

At this Nami smiled, "This is a great opportunity, we could help each other Luffy! What do you say?"

"Maybe, how good are you at navigation?"

"What does that have to do with this?!" Nami yelled at Luffy.

"I'm looking for nakama and a navigator, but they have to be the best in the East Blue, only then can I get to the Grand Line." Luffy said with a determined smile on his face.

"I wouldn't say I'm the best, but if you help me, I'll join you for a while."

"Great! So what's your plan?" Luffy asked, standing up from the table.

"How about this..." Nami started before pulling out some rope.

* * *

 _-Half an hour later-_

 ***BOOOOOMM***

Zoro shot up wide awake and yelled, "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" Looking into the distance, he could see massive amounts of smoke rising above the rooftops. _"Shit, I have to find Luffy."_ Zoro thought, before sprinting in the direction the sound came from.

When Zoro found Luffy, he was locked in a steel cage looking down the barrel of a massive cannon. Although Luffy most likely had the situation handled, Zoro was about to run in and attack the Buggy Pirates. Until, he heard the conversation between Luffy and the woman from earlier, who just happened to be on the other side of the cannon.

"So, are you going to do it?" Luffy asked in a calm voice.

"Do what? Kill you in cold blood?!" Nami replied, obviously conflicted.

"No, risk your life for what you believe in. That's what it means to be a pirate after all." After a few silent moments, Luffy looked to his right and noticed Zoro. "Hey, Zoro! I was wondering when you would wake up."

"Pirate Hunter Zoro! Are you here for my head?" Buggy asked with a grin on his face.

"Not interested big nose," Zoro replied, before looking at Luffy. "Luffy, do you need some help?"

"No, I'm fine. But I guess this is getting boring." Luffy declared before lying on his back, and putting his feet on the top of the cage. With one fluid motion, the top of the cage shot off and hit the lion tamer in the face, causing everyone but Zoro to scream, "YOU COULD DO THAT THE WHOLE TIME!?"

Luffy casually walked over to Zoro, who cut the rope restraining him and simply said, "Yep." Luffy then turned to Zoro and proposed, "Zoro, do you think you can handle the fodder? When I beat Buggy, I'll help out with the rest."

"Sure, that'll be a good workout, but what about the woman?"

"Nami? She's our new navigator." Luffy responded with a broad smile.

"I see," Zoro said walking towards Nami and the underlings of Buggy. "So, you are part of the crew now?" Zoro asked.

"It's only temporary, it's compensation for saving me earlier." Nami replied, still looking confused by what just happened.

"Alright, whatever you say," Zoro replied before unsheathing his katana. "So, are you going to help or just stand there?"

* * *

"If you think one flashy swordsman and a thief can beat my entire crew, you are as stupid as you look, Straw Hat." Buggy declared while pointing at Luffy.

Luffy then replied, "Says the clown who ate his devil fruit whole." This caused Buggy to pale. "Yeah, I know who you are Buggy and I also know whose crew you were on more than twenty years ago. You've fallen so far since his death, its as pathetic as your crew."

Only then did Buggy recognize the Straw Hat, and it all clicked. "Gyahahaha, it doesn't matter if you know my past, because today I will destroy that Straw Hat and kill you." Buggy announced with a grin. Buggy then pulled out eight knives and leaped at Luffy. Only to be stopped by a kick to the face, hurling him into his cannon. Walking over to the now junk metal, that used to be a cannon. Luffy wanted one last look at the failed pirate, "To be this weak, and to have been around Roger himself. You should just quit, it's obvious you aren't cut out for this." Luffy spoke quietly to the fading man.

"I... can... still fight!" the clown said, on the verge of unconsciousness.

"I have one last question before I put you in a coma. Where is my pipe?" Luffy asked the man, only to get an answer in the form of a action. Buggy was pointing to his tent, in which Luffy could clearly see the pipe inside. "Thanks." Luffy ended it with a curb stomp to the back of the head, finishing off Buggy.

Looking back to Zoro and Nami, Luffy watched as Zoro easily handled a swordsman on a unicycle. Nami was somehow able to pacify the lion, whose tamer was unconscious. She was doing surprisingly well against the rest of the crew with only her pole, which she seems to be capable with. Though Zoro had to save her at least once, from what Luffy saw before jogging to the tent and grabbing his pipe.

When Luffy came out of the tent, the only pirates left were running for their lives in fear of the man in the green bandana. Luffy then said, "Zoro, that's enough. Let 'em go, they aren't a threat anymore. Alright, let's steal all of their Berries, and from what I can tell, there is around 20 million in the tent alone." This caused Nami's eyes to change into berri signs.

On the way back to Nami's boat, the three were stopped by an old man who asked, "What are you kids doing here? Don't you know the Buggy Pirates have taken over?"

Luffy replied, "Yep, we know. They just aren't a problem anymore."

The old man stared at the three with wide eyes, then asked, "What do you mean, 'not a problem anymore'?"

"They are all unconscious, so I recommend you call the Marines and cash the bounties on their heads. It should be enough for repairs for the town and more."

This left the old man speechless, before turning around and running as fast as he could back into the woods.

"What a strange old man," Nami thought out loud. "So, Luffy where are we going next?"

"Do you know where Syrup Village is?" Luffy asked while loading the gold onto the small boat.

"I do, but it's on a small island with nothing else on it, why are we heading there?"

Luffy looked across the East Blue and with excitement in his voice, he answered, "Our next Nakama is there."

 **Translations**

 **Tenshi Tenshi no Mi= Angel Angel Devil Fruit**

 **Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Tenshi= Human Human Devil Fruit, Model: Angel.**

 **P.S I'll try to update this story every week, but if I can't it will most likely be biweekly.**


	4. The Son of a Legendary Marksman

**Disclaimer... I don't own One Piece.**

 **Actions**

 _"Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

"So, who is our next Nakama?" Zoro asked while cleaning Wado Ichimonji.

"His name is Usopp, the son of Yasopp, The Legendary Marksman of the Red-Haired Pirates," Luffy replied, laying on the deck with his straw hat covering his face.

"How is he alive? His father must have a massive bounty, and to be apart of a Yonko's crew..." Nami questioned before sitting down in front of the cabin.

"I doubt anyone other than us, the Red Hair Pirates, or the island's inhabitants even know about him or his family. So I'm sure he's had a pretty quiet life." Luffy said through his straw hat.

"What makes you think he'll join us?" Zoro wondered, never taking his eyes off his Katana.

"As Nami said yesterday, the island is small and only has a single village. I bet he is itching to leave, and see what the world has to offer." Luffy assumed. He then lifted the straw hat off his face before asking, "Zoro, you said Buggy had the second highest bounty in the East Blue... who has the largest?"

"If nothing has changed lately, then it's Arlong of the Arlong Pirates. With a 30 million berri bounty, he's arguably the strongest person in this Blue. Not to mention he's a Fishman... I heard he's strong even for a Fishman. Apparently, he's been operating out of the Conomi Islands for years." Zoro informed him, still completely engrossed with his katanas. Becuase of that, only Luffy noticed Nami flinch at the name and judging by the fish tattoo she hides, she has a history with him. With Observation, Luffy could feel her entire aura shift, from peace and contentment to hatred and disgust. He could only imagine what she's gone through, or what trauma she experiences every day because of him.

"I see..." Luffy responded, trying to think of a good reason to sail to the Conomi Islands.

After a few minutes, Zoro finished meticulously cleaning and maintaining each of his katana and asked, "Luffy, how do you vanish and leave an afterimage?"

"Oh, that? It's called Shave, one of the six Rokushiki techniques that makes someone 'superhuman'. It allows someone to move at incredibly high speeds, and to even attack with greater power because of it. To use this technique, someone must kick off the ground more than ten times in a blink. However, for most people I doubt mastering the technique is possible." Luffy informed them while getting up to stretch.

"Why is that?" Nami asked as her aura shifted to curiosity because of these "superhuman" techniques.

"Tunnel Vision. Most people just can't adjust to the speed and lose focus on where they are going completely." Luffy stated while popping his back.

"And what about the other five techniques? Do you use them too?" Zoro asked also intrigued.

"No, I only mastered three of the six. I didn't think the others were very beneficial."

"So, what are the other two you can use?" Nami questioned.

"I can use Moon Step, which is essentially jumping on air and Paper Drawing. Which is the art of making your body so limp, that you are basically paper in the wind. Although the last one is strange because it also requires having complete control of your body and its functions."

"Pfff, no way you can jump on air, that's physically impossible." Nami declared, shaking her head with a smirk on her face.

Zoro looked at her with a raised eyebrow, while Luffy just chuckled a bit. He then stood up on the railing and with a leaped out of the dingy. At the apex of his leap, Luffy thrust his foot down like he was taking another step, and he suddenly levitated higher while making a slight depression in the water. He then turned while continuing the technique and looked at Nami, only to see an astonished look on her face. "This is called MoonWalking, and it can also be combined with Shave," Luffy said before stepping back onto the dingy. "Although, it makes me really hungry. Shishishishi."

"Let me guess, next you are going to tell me you have a devil fruit or you can breathe while underwater." Nami replied sarcastically.

Zoro looked at Luffy for a moment before snickering at this comment, Luffy walked to the bow while looking at the tiny Island in the distance. He then asked, "Nami, is that Gecko Island is?"

"Yep, that's Gecko Island. I just hope this guy will join." She then said under her breath, "I don't want this to be for nothing."

* * *

"Ahh, It's a beautiful day. There is no better way to start the day, than by looking out onto the sea." Usopp declared before looking towards his mother's grave, then turning around and running back to Syrup Village, screaming about an incoming pirate attack.

"Well, Usopps up and about. That means it's time to get to work." Old man Mornin the mayor of Syrup Village spoke while finishing his breakfast and reading the paper.

"There he goes again, one of these days the townspeople will kill that boy. Mark my words-" The older man said to his wife.

"Stop it, you know about his mother and father. So be nicer to the boy, he has a hard enough life as is." She stated after smacking her husband on the back of the head.

"He doesn't make it easier for himself, he does this every single day." The older man replied while rubbing the back of his head and drinking the rest of his coffee.

Usopp ran through the entire village before turning around and screaming with a grin on his face, "JUUUSSST KIDDING, MWAHAHAHA!" This only angered the villagers causing some to throw things at him. Usopp started to run into the woods on the Northern part of the island avoiding pots and pans along the way. When he got far enough into the woods, Usopp climbed the highest tree he could find. It had an amazing view of the East Blue, but to his surprise, a ship was almost to the island and it had black sails and a jolly roger with a big red nose. Climbing down the tree, Usopp ran as fast as he could back to the village. He had heard of the story _"The Boy Who Cried Wolf"_ , and he understood how the villagers viewed him. So, instead of saying anything to them, Usopp went off to find his crew.

"Ninjin, Pilman, Tamanegi where are you guys!? We have to get to the North coast fast!" Usopp yelled running as fast as he could.

The three came out of the sliding out of Meshi and with salutes and smiles, they all asked, "What's wrong Captain?"

"We have to go to the go to the North coast as fast as we can," Usopp said, before taking off towards the North.

The three children struggled to keep up with Usopp, but as they neared the coast, Pilman screamed, "Captain! What's wrong?! Why are we running to the coast?!"

"Buggy the Clown's pirate ship is coming! We have to keep Kaya and the village safe!" Usopp yelled without looking back.

* * *

As the three neared Gecko Island, Luffy already noticed the four auras hiding in the woods of the northern coast. When Luffy, Zoro, and Nami landed on the Island, Luffy and Nami jumped from the small boat while Zoro begrudgingly pulled it ashore.

"Syrup Village is south of here, hopefully, this 'Usopp' is there." Nami said, looking at a map of the surrounding area.

"I don't think Yasopp would lie about his son. He may have told some tall tales when he was on Dawn Island, but I believe him. Shanks knows when he's lying and he believed him, so why shouldn't we." Luffy responded to Nami while watching the woods on the cliff.

Then some kid jumped out of the treeline while holding a slingshot like he was about to attack and yelled, "How do you know my dad's name!" With a closer look, the kid with a long nose and an afro. He was also wearing coveralls and a brown bandana.

Luffy smiled and answered, "You must be Usopp. I met Yasopp more than a decade ago on Dawn Island, and he just wouldn't stop talking about you. He also said you take after him in more ways than one. So, I just had to come to meet the son of a Legendary Marksman."

"Then you are not part of the Buggy Pirates?" Usopp asked, still aiming his slingshot at Luffy.

"Shishishishi, no we are not part of the Buggy Pirates. My name is Monkey D. Luffy, this is Nami, and that is Roronoa Zoro, We're the Straw Hat Pirates. Do you know where we can get some meat? We have money and I'm starving!" Luffy asked with a smile.

"Alright, but if you start any trouble, I'll drive you off this island!" Usopp declared, pulling the rubber band on his slingshot further back to emphasize his point.

Luffy held his hands up in mock surrender, "Don't worry we won't start anything. So, is there a restaurant or something nearby? I can also tell you stories of Yasopp while he was on Dawn Island."

"Alright, just follow the path and I'll meet you at the top of the hill." Usopp stated before disappearing back into the brush.

Nami then looked at Luffy and said, "That was easier than expected." While walking towards the path.

Luffy and Zoro walked together up the path, but before they reached the trees, Luffy said under his breath, "We should be careful on this island, I can sense a malicious aura inland. Keep an eye out, but I'll tell you when we see him."

"Are you sure? This island seems peaceful." Zoro asked, stopping dead in his tracks and looking Luffy in the eyes.

"I am, the aura is malicious but controlled. It's also the biggest aura besides us two, So just look for ill intent." Luffy spoke with a serious look.

"Ok, do you think I could beat him? " Zoro asked with a grin as they continued up the path.

"Of course, Zoro. I have the utmost confidence in your skills and abilities. I sincerely doubt there is anyone in this Blue could beat you in a straight fight."

"Then why are you worried?"

"I'm not worried about us, Zoro, I'm worried about the people of this island." Luffy replied, only to see Nami waiting beside Usopp and three other kids.

Luffy then looked at Usopp and asked, "Alright, where are we going?" Only for his stomach growl.

"Uh, we are heading back to town. There is a restaurant called Mushi we can eat at." With that Usopp led on, heading south towards the Village. As Usopp walked next to Luffy, he asked, "So you really knew my father?"

"Yasopp? Yeah, I know him, he's the best marksman I've ever seen. I never saw him miss a shot. He loved to tell tall tales, which I thought were lies, but he talked more about you and your mother than himself." Luffy answered while reminiscing about a time long past.

"I didn't know him very well, he left to become a pirate when I was young. So, I don't remember much about him." Usopp stated, looking dejected.

After 20 minutes or so of walking the three kids left, and the four of them arrived at Mushi, all the while receiving stares or glares from the passing villagers. When they sat down at a booth, Luffy asked, "Usopp, what is your dream?"

"My dream? Why do you ask?" Usopp inquired, looking a tad confused.

"Well, my entire crew are crazy dreamers. I'm the craziest of them all, after all I want to find the One Piece, and we need a marksman. So, would you like to join us?"

"A marksman you say... Well, my dream is to become The Greatest Marksman in the World! I can guarantee you, there isn't a better one in the East Blue. But I'll only do it if I get the Captain position." Usopp responded with a grin on his face and puffing out his chest.

Zoro, not looking amused at all declared, "We are the Straw Hat Pirates. There is only one person fit for the job, and he is sitting right in front of me." He then pointed his finger at Luffy who was devouring some meat, before chugging some sake.

Usopp started to back peddle, "Fine, fine, fine, I'm alright with not being the captain, but I will be the first mate!"

Luffy then cleared his throat and declared, "Zoro was the first person in my crew, so that spot is taken. How about this, you can be our weapons expert and our prodigious marksman."

Nami then added, "Luffy, I think you've forgotten something."

Luffy tilted his head a bit in confusion, then Nami continued, "About how we will get to the Grand Line. We can't take that dingy, it will get torn apart."

"I think I can help with that," Usopp interjected. "There is a mansion on this island, and the girl who owns it has a ship. She's the richest person on the entire island, sadly she is sickly and bedridden right now, but you are in luck because I'm her only friend!" Usopp announced, sticking his thumb in his chest.

"Why does a girl like that own a mansion?" Nami inquired.

"Both of her parents died last year because of a strange illness. It was very sudden, but she was left everything, the mansion, the fortune, the servants. It's a tragic story If I've ever heard one." Usopp replied leaning back in his chair.

Luffy looked over to Zoro, who was already staring at him and with a slight nod, Luffy said, "Well, let's go meet her, I'm sure she will help us."

* * *

Luffy hung back, while Usopp lead them up the road towards the massive white house, Zoro then looked at Luffy and inquired in a hushed tone, "So, what do you think about that 'illness'? It seems suspicious to me."

"I agree. If I had to guess the one who did it is someone who prepares food or is around them at all times." Luffy said, looking ahead towards the mansion.

"Are we getting closer to that aura you were talking about?" Zoro asked.

Luffy nodded then said, "We are... But the aura is moving throughout the mansion, so I assume it is a butler or maid. I'll let you know when we met the person." Although, he said it loud enough to garner some attention.

Nami then slowed down and asked, "What are you two talking about, we are almost at the mansion you know."

"Nami, what do you think about the 'illness', that has affected this family?" Luffy inquired.

"I think it's tragic and strange, but possible. Why do you ask?"

"I'll answer your question with another." Luffy turning grim, and he then looked at Usopp's back and asked, "Hey Usopp, how old were the parents when they died?"

"They seemed to be in their late thirties or early forties. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious, they seemed very young to die of illness," Luffy replied before turning back to Nami.

"They were, that's why it was so tragic. When you meet her, please don't bring it up, it will make her depressed." Usopp stated before continuing on the path.

Nami gave Luffy a calculating glance before muttering, "Alright, I think I get what you are saying but why are you so on edge?"

Luffy then lowered his voice, "Think about it like this Nami, not only did this girl's parents both of whom were adults, die of the same 'illness' at the same time but now, a year later, their child is dying of an 'illness'. Not only that but no other person has contracted this 'illness' on the island, other than members of the most wealthy family."

"You make it sound like someone is killing off the family," Nami spoke in a hushed tone.

Zoro stated, "That's exactly what he's saying."

"But-" Nami started, before being cut off by Luffy. "We will continue this later. Right now, we need to see if this girl is truly sick."

The four walked for another five minutes before coming upon a large black gate. Usopp then led them to the side of the estate and climbed the wall before looking back to Luffy and saying, "Stay here for a few minutes, I'll talk to her and cheer her up a little." Usopp then jumped down from the wall and walked to a window on the first floor and knocked.

* * *

"Luffy...what other proof do you have that someone is trying to kill the family?" Nami asked a little hesitantly.

"I should have told you this on the way here, along with the techniques I showed both of you. I have the ability to sense auras, feelings, strength, and intentions. This ability is called, Observation Haki. This is important because the largest aura on the island is in that mansion. Not only is it the most powerful aura besides Zoro and me, but it's extremely malicious. So much so that it is like a beacon." Luffy answered while looking at the top floors of the mansion.

"Did Zoro know this? Is there anything else that I should know?" Nami demanded with her hands on her hips.

"Yes, Zoro knew about it. I will tell you everything later when we have more time, for now though, we should secure our ship for the Grand Line." Luffy declared before turning away from Nami.

"So, we are just going to leave this girl to die! I thought you were a better person than that!" Nami replied raising her voice.

"Shhhh, Nami calm down. Besides what do you expect me to do? Run in there and beat the shit out of the person who is doing this? Nami, if I do that, it will only be seen as a pirate hurting an innocent, and we will lose a chance to get to the Grand Line."

"I expect you to do something! I won't follow a man who doesn't help those who need it. If it means we get our ship in exchange for her life, we'll find a ship somewhere else!"

"Alright, alright, we will help the girl. I will try and force the person's hand... But-"

"Hey, guys! She wants to meet you! Come on over." Usopp yelled over the wall.

Nami gave Luffy a glare then hopped up and over the wall. Luffy then said under his breath, "Shit...This is going to be tricky."

Zoro then simply replied before jumping over the wall," We can just kill him after we get our ship."

Luffy then jumped over the wall and was greeted by a pale blonde girl leaning halfway out a window.

She then started, "My name is Kaya, I hear you are friends of Usopp. He also told me you have a request."

Luffy then explained, "We do Kaya, My name is Monkey D. Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. We need a ship to get us to the Grand Line...If you can help us, it will not only benefit my crew but Usopp as well."

She then looked at Usopp and asked, "How will this help you?"

Usopp responded with a smile, "I am going with them, Kaya. I'm going to the Grand Line to accomplish my dream of being The Greatest Marksman in the World!" He finished with his fist in the air, then continued with less enthusiasm, "There is also a chance I can meet my father again..."

Kaya then announced, "Alright, I will have a ship prepared for you all." She then turned to Usopp, "And when you return Usopp, I WILL hear all of your stories about the infamous Grand Line." Kaya declared with a big grin.

"Kaya... I have another question." Luffy said regaining her attention.

"What is it, Luffy?" Kaya asked tilting her head.

"When was the last time you left this mansion?" He inquired motioning to the building.

"Its been about five months since I last left... My Caretaker, Klahadore says it unhealthy for me to leave." Kaya said as her mood immediately changed.

"Would you like to go to town with us? I'm sure the people there would love-" Luffy said before being cut off by a man with glasses.

"What are you doing here? You can't just barge in, this is private property!" The man spoke with an edge while walking up to the group.

"Calm down Klahadore, its alright they only wanted-" Kaya started before being cut off by the man.

"I don't care what they wanted, I will hear of it afterward. Now all of you leave the property or I will force you out." The man said pushing his glasses up in a very strange way.

Luffy the said, "Zoro..."

"I got it," the swordsman said before putting his hand on Wado Ichimonji.

Luffy then looked to Kaya, who looked unhappy and asked, "Kaya, you pay this man, correct?"

Her expression changed to confusion and replied, "Yes, I pay his wage. Why do you ask?"

"Then he has no right to order you around, let's go into town. I'm sure there are people you would like to see."

"I'd love-" Kaya started before being cut off by the butler.

"NO! Mistress Kaya you can't, you are still very sick. You must stay inside." Klahadore told her, now sounding desperate.

"You look fine to me Kaya, and besides..." Luffy started sending an intense glare towards Klahadore before looking back towards Kaya, "It is unhealthy to stay inside for even a month, let alone five. Everyone needs the sun, Kaya, it is healthy to be outside as well."

Klahadore then stepped in between Kaya and Luffy and nearly screamed, "NO! SHE IS STILL SICK." Before calming down and continuing, " Just look at her, she is so pale and frail. She. Needs. To. Stay. Inside." Kalahadore said emphasizing every word while trying to intimidate Luffy.

"Shishishi, I can tell you are not a doctor." Luffy laughed at him while giving him a small dose of Conqueror's Haki, causing him to step back in fear while sweating bullets. Luffy then declared, "She is that pale because she never leaves the house and her frailty can also be attributed to that." Luffy then pushed past Klahadore and asked, "So, Kaya would you like to go into town with us?"

"I'd love to Luffy," Kaya said putting on her shoes before slipping out the window. She then grabbed Usopp's arm, before looking at the butler and ordering, "Klahadore, tell Merry to get the Going Merry ready immediately." And began walking towards the gate being led by Usopp.

Kalahadore then moved so fast that only Luffy could see him, he grabbed Kaya by the arm and said, "Mistress, I insist that you return to the house immediately."

Luffy then walked up to the man and grabbed his shoulder, giving him a bone-crushing squeeze, and said in his ear, "I recommend you let go of her, or you lose the arm." As Klahadore let go, Luffy said to Usopp and Nami, "Go on ahead, Zoro and I need to get something from the dingy. We'll meet you at Meshi in an hour or so."

Nami picked up on what was happening and herded the two out off the property while giving Klahadore an icy glare. Nami then asked with a sweet smile, "So, Kaya where do you want to go? Today's all about you."

Kaya thought for a moment before saying, "I'd like to go see Usopp's mothers grave... It is on the Southern Coast of the island, then I'd like to see Old man Mornin again. He is always so nice and I haven't seen him in so long."

Usopp was stunned by her request for a moment before giving her a warm smile and saying, "Let's go to the coast first, then we can go see the Mayor."

* * *

Luffy threw Klahadore into the side of the mansion, while he was holding his fractured shoulder and said, "So, you are the one who killed Kaya's parents."

"What are you talking about?! I treated them the best I could!" Klahadore answered, trying to sound innocent.

"You must think I'm stupid, not only did you use Shave just now, which no normal person can use, but you have hardly covered your tracks at all when killing this family," Luffy said trying to keep a level voice. He then grabbed the man by the arm and dragged him to the front door before throwing him up the steps into the door. "Go get your weapons, we will be out back and If you try to leave in any way, I will kill you myself. No matter who sees." Luffy ordered while lacing the last part with Conqueror's Haki.

As they were walking to the back of the property Zoro questioned, "So, do you think he will run?"

"If he is smart he won't. I'm going to let him fight you, which gives him a slight chance of survival."

"And If he attacks you?"

"If he does that, then I will finish this quickly. I'm not in a great mood at the moment so he will be an excellent disposable punching bag." Luffy declared giving Zoro a toothy grin.

* * *

Not even five minutes later, the back door of the mansion opened and Klahadore appeared before both of them. He had taken off his blazer and put on strange gloves with blades on each finger. "I actually expected my plan to work flawlessly, but it seems I've lost my touch. I will start with the one who broke my shoulder," He said pointing a hand at Luffy, "Then I will take care of you, Roronoa Zoro."

"I have one question before we start, what is your real name?" Luffy asked.

"I guess you would like to know who is about to kill you, child. My name is Kuro of a hundred plans, Captain of the Black Cat Pirates."

"Ohh, you are Kuro? The pirate with a 16 million Berri bounty? I thought you were caught by the Marines three years ago." Zoro responded with a grin and crossing his arms.

"As if I could ever be caught. I am the smartest man in this backwater sea, and if it wasn't for you two, my three-year plan would be nearly complete!" He then pushed up his glasses with his palm. "But enough talk, I need to think of a good excuse for your disappearance," Kuro said before staggering back and forth, with his head and arms hanging.

Luffy looked away for a second, noticing a ship of pirates coming to the Northern Coast. He pulled out his pipe and vanished, barely kicking up some dirt and dust where he stood. He then appeared behind Kuro and hit the side of his knee with the pipe, hearing some loud ***cracks*** and ***pops*** as it happened. Kuro's knee was jutting out at a disturbing angle, causing him to fall to the ground and when he saw it started to wail and scream. Kuro then gripped his knee, only to cut himself with his blades, and make his screams louder.

Luffy then told his swordsman, "Zoro, I'm taking him to the Northern Coast. Head there too, it seems some pirates are about to arrive." He then grabbed Kuro by the shirt and used shave to get to the Northern Coast.

* * *

Arriving 10 seconds later at the top of the cliff, Luffy spoke to the crying Kuro, "I assume your crew is on the way?"

Kuro looked at him with his bloodshot eyes full of fear, barely able to mumble the word, "...How..."

"When I throw you, be sure to fight the sleepy feeling you will get. Because you will probably to go into shock soon, and if you die, you'll become worthless to me." Luffy then threw Kuro down onto the beach, causing him to cry out in pain and sat on a boulder waiting for Zoro and the pirates.

Five minutes later, Zoro came sprinting through the forest. Following which direction Luffy went in, he finally found him sitting on a boulder looking over the Coast. "So, are the pirates here yet?" Zoro asked, moving closer to the edge of the cliff, only to see a motionless Kuro.

"They will be soon." Luffy answered while watching the side of the coast.

Zoro looked down on Kuro again, and questioned, "Did you kill him?"

"No, he just passed out due to shock and a decrease of blood pressure. But if his crew takes too long, he will succumb to the wounds. A shame really, he must have been extremely out of shape to almost die because of a single hit."

"How strong is the crew?"

"There are only 15 members, but only 4 of them could be considered a threat. You want to handle them?"

"Of course. I was itching to fight that bastard, but his crew will have to do." Zoro told Luffy, before spitting in Kuro's direction.

"Then I'll watch from here. Just remember to be careful, not every battle is a sure victory." Luffy responded to Zoro as he walked to the path leading down to the beach.

"I know, I know, I won't take chances. Besides if we play with them for too long, we'll be late." Zoro replied, looking back to Luffy while putting on his bandana.

* * *

"Nami, what were Luffy and Zoro getting from your boat?" Kaya asked as they walked back from the Southern Coast of the island.

"They were getting our money." She quickly replied, having already thought of the excuse.

"I see..."Kaya spoke before looking into the cloudless sky and remarking, "Oh, it is such a gorgeous day, I wish I could be outside more."

"Why don't you? You seem healthy to me, and besides, you made everyone happy when we entered town earlier." Nami said with a smile.

"But Klahadore says I'm sick and he has been such a good caretaker for me," Kaya responded while looking slightly sad.

Nami then asked, "Kaya, is Klahadore a doctor?"

Kaya shook her head, "No, he is not."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. What does he know about a woman's needs." Nami stated giving Kaya a grin.

"Your right Nami, he is a man after all." She then turned to Usopp, "Are you excited to leave the island and see the world?"

"I am... I'm excited to see what the Grand Line has to offer. I've always heard it exceeds the imagination."

"I'm sure you will experience things that seem impossible, but also incredible. I envy you for having the strength to follow your dream, no matter how difficult the road might be. I know that you will have accomplished your dream during your time away, but know I'll have done the same. When you return I will be the best doctor this blue has to offer." Just as Kaya finished her speech, Mayor Mornin walked into the group with open arms.

Kaya accepted the hug, and Mornin asked, "Kaya, it's great to see you! Are you feeling well?"

"I feel much better, it's great to get out of that stuffy old house and walk around the island again," Kaya responded with a beaming smile on her face.

"Well, I hope to see you more, everyone seems much happier when you're around." Mornin said before looking toward Usopp. "Ah, Usopp I have been looking for you. Some of the villagers said that some pirates showed up earlier today and you were with them. Can you explain what's going on?"

Usopp started to laugh timidly before explaining, "I am going to join them, the Captain knows my father personally and wants me to be their marksman. He also said, he would help me achieve my dream, so I accepted their offer."

"Are you going to be staying in the East Blue?" Mornin asked with interest.

"No, we will be going to the Grand Line. My captain's dream is to find the One Piece after all, so we will be leaving after we get our ship."

Mornin looked at Usopp with surprise before ordering him, "Follow me Usopp, there is something I need to give you."

Nami then declared, "This seems private, so I'm going back to Meshi, just head back when you're done."

Kaya gave Nami a wave as the Mayor led the two back to his home and into his dining room. He removed an ornate wooden box from beside his fireplace and stated, "This was given to me by your mother before her health declined. She told me if you ever followed in your father's footsteps, to give you this and to tell you, 'Those have been passed down for generations on your father's side, and he always wanted you to have them.' I have never opened the box because it wasn't my business, but I bet it will help you on your journey."

When Usopp opened the box, he found two customized .44 Caliber flintlock revolvers. "They're... They're incredible." Usopp declared, completely in awe before grabbing one of the revolvers and noticing it fit his hand perfectly. Usopp then looked to Mornin, who had tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"I remember when your father used those, he stopped after you were born... I just wish your mother was here to see this." Mornin said, before wiping the tears.

"Thank you, I-I don't know how to repay you..."

"Just make your dream come true, and come back one day. That will be more than enough." He declared with a gentle smile.

* * *

When Nami entered Meshi, Luffy and Zoro were already there eating and drinking. Taking the booth opposite of them she asked, "So, what happened to Klahadore?"

Luffy then explained all too casually, "His real name was Kuro and he was a pirate captain from a few years back, I unintentionally killed him and Zoro killed most of his crew."

"Where are Usopp and Kaya? I thought they were with you." Zoro inquired before taking a pull of sake.

"Usopp is talking to the mayor about something, and Kaya went with them. I'm sure they will be here soon."

"Great. I can't wait to hear about our new ship, The Going Merry was the name, right?" Zoro asked Nami.

"Yep, The Going Merry. I actually like the name, I wonder what type of ship it is." Luffy wondered.

A few minutes later, Usopp and Kaya came into Meshi, and Usopp was holding a wooden box.

Luffy, being the most curious of the three asked, "What's in the box, Usopp?"

"My father left me these years ago, for the slim chance I follow in his footsteps," Usopp said putting the box on the table and opening it.

When Luffy looked inside, he found two antique, enhanced revolvers, with what looked to be sea washed oak driftwood for the grips. Both revolvers were resting on at least 50 bullets, that were neatly stacked. Kaya then stated, "They are beautiful, aren't they? It's like they were made for him."

Zoro then asked, "What about your slingshot?"

Usopp closed the box and simply responded with a small smile, "I left it with the Mayor. So, I will be using these on our journey."

"I'm sure you are excited to use them." Luffy then looked to Kaya, who was sitting next to Nami, "So, can you tell us more about the Going Merry, we're all excited to see it." He said motioning to Zoro and Nami.

"I can, The Going Merry is a Caravel Class Vessel. It was designed by my Head Butler, Merry, and its figurehead is of a lamb. The vessel has a central steering rudder and a jib. It also has 4 cannons, one on the Bow, Stern, Port, and Starboard sides of the Ship. There is a Kitchen, a bathroom, men's and women's quarters, as well as a storage and cannon's deck. Oh, and I almost forgot, on the cannon deck, there is the anchor room."

"It sounds perfect!" Luffy told Kaya with a massive smile, slamming his hands on the table.

Nami then stated, "I've heard of the Caravel Class, the ships are supposed to be extremely maneuverable, correct?"

"Yes, it is. I think it'll be perfect for whatever the Grand Line can throw at you."

"When can we see it?" Zoro asked Kaya.

"Most likely tomorrow. I want to have it stocked with ammunition, food, and medical supplies among other things."

Luffy had a look of realization the told the group, "That reminds me, we need to find a Cook. Sooner rather than later."

Zoro chimed in, "I agree, I doubt any of us can prepare food well."

"I have an idea," Kaya announced, gaining the attention of everyone at the table. "There is a restaurant on the Sea, called Baratie. I also heard the Chefs there are all capable fighters, so maybe you can look for someone there."

"Do you know where it is?" Nami inquired.

"No, the restaurant is a ship. So, it is moved regularly."

Nami put her head down on the table, looking depressed. "How are we supposed to find it then? It could be anywhere."

Luffy looked at her with a bright smile and told her, "Don't worry Nami, I'm sure we will find it one way, or another."

Kaya then got up and announced, "Thank you all for convincing me to come out today. I feel incredible. I'm going back home to see if the preparations are coming along well, and tomorrow I will meet all of you on the southern coast of the island." With a final smile towards Usopp, she left Meshi.

 **Reviews on how to improve are always welcome, so don't be shy. Thanks for all the support on this story, it's my first and i didn't expect too much out of it.**


	5. Baratie

**Disclaimer... I don't own One Piece at all. Even a little. Like not even 1%.**

 **Actions**

 _"Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

The sun was almost set when Kaya finally returned home from Meshi. Although it was strange, none of the lights were on and the gates were still wide open. Kaya opened the front door but saw more of the same, so she announced herself, "I'm home! Merry! We need to discuss the preparations for the ship!"

Kaya waited a few moments but received no response. Moving up the stairs and towards Klahadore's room, Kaya then called for her caretaker, "Klahadore! Do you know where Merry is?"

She didn't receive a response again which was frightening, walking quickly towards his room and knocking on the door. Kaya put her ear to the door but didn't hear anyone inside, _"Maybe he's asleep, although it's very early."_ Kaya then slowly opened the door, not to disturb the sleeping man, only to see a pool of blood on the floor. She threw open the door to see Merry, her head butler, lying face down in the puddle.

Kaya ran as fast as she could to his side and with tears already streaming down her face, she rolled him over. She saw four shallow gashes from his forehead to his chin, and his right eye was sliced as well. Kaya ran to Klahadore's bed and ripped off the bedding. She rushed back to Merry, praying she wasn't too late to save the man's life. She bit into the beddings, then used her nails to make a hole big enough for his nose and mouth so he could breathe. She then put the bedding over his face and applied pressure.

This received a small reaction from Merry, as both of his hands moved to the person applying pressure to his wounds. Now crying tears of joy, Kaya then told Merry, "It's alright Merry, it's Kaya. I need you to hold pressure right now, I need to supplies to help you."

Kaya put his hands on his face and was about to leave when Merry grabbed her blood stained dress. He then lifted the already stained bedding over his mouth and said with labored breaths, "Lady Kaya... Klahadore did this... He attacked me! Please...be careful, he might still be in the house!"

Kaya recoiled when she heard this and with her whole body shaking, she asked, "He-He did this to you? But why would he?"

"He said.. **cough**... He was going to steal everything... He said...I was the first to be killed... **cough**... and he was coming for you tonight!" Merry declared, sounding more and more strained as he spoke.

"Please Merry, stop talking! I'll be right back, I'm only going to get supplies from my room. Just keep applying pressure, everything will be fine." Kaya wiped her tears and decided at that moment, she had to be strong. She had to leave behind the scared little girl. She had to be strong for Merry's sake, to save a man's life.

Kaya rushed to her room and took the medical kit that is always next to her bed. She thought for a moment then grabbed some towels, her sewing kit and the few medical books she had in her room. Running as fast as she could, Kaya bolted out of her room and into Klahadore's. Dropping everything next to Merry, she grabbed his hands and brought them to his sides. Kaya peeled off the bloody sheets and got a much clearer picture of how bad these wounds were... Merry would never be able to use his right eye again. The slashed were deep enough to slice through the eye as well, the slashes were all deep enough to hit bone too. So the man would have nasty scars for the rest of his life. Realizing she was wasting time, Kaya grabbed her medical kit, opened up one of the books and started to sow up the man's face.

As Kaya worked, Merry began to speak again with tears streaming from his eye, "Lady Kaya, I'm sorry... I couldn't...do a thing when he attacked me... I'm a terrible excuse for a butler."

"Don't say that Merry, you are an incredible butler. You have been taking care of my family even before I was born. You have been there for my family in the good times and the bad, I can't ask any more from you. Besides, you couldn't have known Klahadore's plan... Please, tell me how this happened."

"I was cleaning...the foyer...Then I heard Klahadore scream from upstairs. I ran to see if I could be of assistance, but when I entered the room,...he was hunched over on the bed looking at a black bag. I asked if he was alright... and he said, 'Don't call me that anymore, call me Kuro... Besides, today...is the day, my 3-year plan will come to fruition tonight! My crew...is already on their way, and we will ransack everything on this speck of an island... Which means you aren't required anymore, you are the first to die, Merry, then the entire village... Lastly, that...little bitch Kaya, after she gives me everything in her possession of course.' He then...attacked me using a glove with blades on every finger... He was a pirate, Lady Kay-"

Kaya's tears had returned at the things Merry had said, she then stopped him, "Please stop Merry, I have to dress your wounds, otherwise you might not survive. I don't know where he is but he isn't in the mansion. Everyone in the town is safe as well...So, don't worry about anything else, everything will be alright."

* * *

Usopp talked to the owner of Meshi, and she said everyone could stay there for the night. With one last wave goodbye, Usopp left Meshi with a skip and a jig in his step, thinking of the adventures tomorrow might hold.

"So, what happened to Kuro?" Nami asked Luffy as he poured himself and Nami a drink.

Luffy took a long sip from his cup, then declared, "He was barely breathing by the time his crew arrived, they sent out the cannon fodder first, which Zoro handled easily." He then looked over to Zoro who was finishing off his first cup. "I bet it wasn't even a warm-up for Zoro. I swear I could smell the shit from the Vice-Captains pants after that, but then the Vice-Captain ordered three brothers to go fight Zoro at once."

Zoro then cut in, "They tried some underhanded tactics so I'd drop my guard, but I didn't give them a chance to get close. Then this weird dude with sunglasses tried to 'hypnotize' me, which was one of the funniest things I've ever seen."

Luffy finished by saying, "When he realized that he couldn't do a thing, he grabbed Kuro and ran back onto the ship. He tried to escape but barely left the island before I burned down the ship. Kuro died, but the guy with the glasses escaped on a dingy."

Nami looked astounded for a second, then inquired, "So, you just left the bodies? What happens if they're found? The people here will hate us!"

While pouring himself another drink, Zoro said, "Don't worry about that. We burned the bodies, all that was left was blood stains and ash. And that will be gone the next time it rains, so we have nothing to worry about."

Nami then sighed, "Alright, then good riddance to those dickheads! Kampi!" She said, lifting her cup to the center of the table.

"Kampi!" Luffy and Zoro answered, before downing their drinks.

When Nami finished her drink, she passed her cup to Luffy and asked, "Luffy, you said you burned down their ship, how'd you do it?"

Luffy grabbed his bottle of sake and filled the cups, He then looked at Zoro who was already downing another cup, for a second. He then said, "It's part of my devil fruit. I can fly and can control a special fire."

"You have a devil fruit power! So, when Zoro laughed at my sarcasm earlier..."

"Yeah, he was laughing because of how ridiculous you thought it was." Luffy answered, passing back her cup.

"Alright, so when do I get to see this power and what else should I know? You better tell me everything!"

"Where to begin... I told you a little about my devil fruit, but it is called, Tenshi Tenshi no Mi."

"Tenshi... So, you're an angel?"

"Yep, I have wings, a halo, and everything!" Luffy replied with a massive grin.

Nami then took a sip of her drink, "Ok, what else is there?"

"I told you about Observation Haki, there are two other types. Armament and Conqueror's, I have all three, which is incredibly rare."

"So... Are you the strongest person in the East Blue?" Nami asked hesitantly.

"Right now? Probably, but it depends if gramps is in the East Blue. I still can't overcome his Armament Haki." Luffy then looked at his bottle, which was almost empty. He suddenly looked to Zoro, "Zoro, can you get us a couple more bottles?"

Zoro looked at his bottle and realized he was in a similar situation. "Alright, I'm almost dry anyways." He then got up to look for the bar, only to realize he was drunker than he thought.

"Luffy... Who is your Grandfather?"

"Monkey D. Garp. I haven't seen him in a couple years though." Luffy responded, looking down at his sake, then pounding the rest of the cup.

"Your... Monkey D. Garp is your... You know what, I'm not even surprised anymore." Nami declared before finishing off her drink. Nami looked back to Luffy, who was pouring the last of his first bottle in his cup, "Luffy..."

Luffy put the bottle down and looked her in the eyes. "What is it?"

She then quietly asked, "How far are you willing to go for your Nakama?"

"How far... I'd go to Impel Down for my Nakama. Hell, I'd even fight all three Admirals or the Yonko for my Nakama." Luffy answered with a beaming smile, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. This stunned Nami completely, this man is willing to fight the world, just for someone he considers a friend.

Finally, Zoro had returned with three bottles of sake in his hand. "Did you get lost on your way to the bar? Shishishishi" Luffy asked, failing to contain his enjoyment.

"Shut up, this place is confusing is all." Zoro answered, plopping down in the booth next to Luffy. Zoro passed the bottles out, which were greedily taken by everyone at the table.

Luffy poured himself another drink, then looked at Nami, who had the look of contemplation on her face. "Do you any more questions Nami?"

"I do, Luffy... Can you kill someone for me?" Nami asked with reluctantly.

Zoro almost did a spit take, but didn't want to waste good sake. He looked at Nami with an extremely confused face, before pounded the rest of his cup, while Luffy turned very serious and set his down. "Who is it?"

Nami flinched a little but held strong and announced, "Arlong... Of the Arlong Pirates. I'm originally from the Conomi Islands, he killed my mother and enslaved everyone for the past ten years. He then took me as a prisoner and branded me, because of my skills as a navigator and a cartographer." Nami pulled up her sleeve and showed him her tattoo. "He made me hate myself and my dream." She finished with disgust.

Zoro was surprised by the information, but Luffy just looked at her with sympathy in his eyes. Luffy then replied, "Ten years... I'm sorry... You had to go through that." Luffy then slammed his hands on the table and announced, "I promise, I will make him pay for all the suffering he's caused you." He then sat back down on the bench and continued, "But I don't have an idea where the Conomi Islands are. Nor do I know what he looks like, so you will have to show me."

This put a smile on Nami's face, "Thank you... Thank you so much Luffy. I thought he would terrorize my village for the rest of my life." As Nami spoke, she started crying tears of joy at the thought of Arlongs demise. At the thought of Bell-mère finally resting peacefully. She then put her head on the table and slowly passed out thinking of freedom, a life without the monster known as Arlong.

After awhile and a few more drinks, Zoro grabbed Nami's bottle and looked at Luffy. "I wasn't joking when I said Arlong is strong for a Fishman. I've had opportunities to go after him before, but I've doubted my survival every time. Not to mention he'll try to get you into the water, where he is even stronger."

Luffy downed his cup, and replied, "I'm not worried. I might have a devil fruit, but all he's got is strength and fear. All I have to do is keep him from the water." Luffy then turned to him and declared, "Mark my words Zoro, I will rip off his head and present it to the people he's enslaved."

Zoro smirked, then took a pull from the bottle, "Aye, aye Captain. I'll be on clean up duty for the fodder, it should be a great workout. I heard Fishmen are ten times stronger than humans, so it should be fun to test the theory."

Luffy gave him a tired smile before yawning, "I'm going to sleep as well, we do need to meet Kaya tomorrow morning." Luffy put the cork in his bottle, then put his head on the table and was out like a light.

Zoro watched Luffy for a moment, then looked at Nami. He sighed deeply and grabbed Wado Ichimonji from the floor, to clean it.

* * *

It was a few hours after sunrise when Usopp awoke. He almost rolled over and fell back asleep, until he remembered yesterday. He remembered his crew waiting on him. Usopp jumped out of bed, put on the clothes he laid out late last night. He then put on his boots and his bandana, grabbed his sack of clothes and was out the door.

Usopp sprinted to Meshi, but was stopped on the way by Mayor Mornin. The Mayor then said, " So Usopp, you are really leaving today."

"Yes, Sir! I'm going out to accomplish my dream, and if I see my father, I'll tell him everything he has missed while he was gone."

"That's great my boy. You have those pistols correct?"

Usopp dropped his sack and pulled out the box from inside, he then opened it and found a letter. "What is... What is this?"

"That was written by your mother, the day she passed. I was meant to give it to your father when he returned, but you will see him sooner than I will. If you open it, at least wait until you are out at sea."

"Thank you again, Mayor. I will get this to my father and we will read it together. And don't worry, I will return home. Because I have someone waiting for me." Usopp finished the statement looking towards the mansion on the hill, he then repacked his sack and looked back at the Mayor.

"I'm sure you will Usopp. Now go! Your friends are waiting." The Mayor said, giving Usopp a slight push towards Meshi.

Usopp gave the old man one last smile, then picked up his sack and sprinting down the path. When Usopp arrived at Meshi, he walked in to find Nami slapping a passed out Luffy while Zoro just watched with a grin. Zoro heard the door open and turned around to see Usopp. "Sleep well, Usopp-"

They both heard a _splash_ as water was thrown onto Luffy, whose eyes shot open. Nami let go a sigh of relief, "Finally, let's go Luffy. We need to leave the island."

Luffy, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes looked at Nami, then at Zoro and Usopp and asked, "Is it morning yet?"

Zoro then smacked Luffy on the back of his head, "Yeah, dumbass it is. Come on, let's go see what the Going Merry looks like."

Luffy begrudgingly got up from the booth, while Nami paid the barkeep for the booze they drank throughout the night. The four of them left Meshi, while Luffy, Zoro, and Nami followed Usopp to the Southern Coast. It took around twenty minutes for them to walk to the coast, and when they arrived they found a ship that was exactly what Kaya described. Sheep figurehead and all.

Everyone but Usopp looked amazed at the ship, which could now be considered theirs. "Where is Kaya?" Usopp asked, looking around the coast for any sign of her.

Luffy looked at the confused Usopp and replied, "Let's check the ship, maybe she left a note or something."

The four walked up the gangplank and checked every deck. It was perfect, Merry would be the ship that carried the Straw Hat Pirates to greatness! Luffy immediately went to the kitchen and found a note on the table. It was addressed to Usopp, Luffy then yelled, "Usopp! Come to the Kitchen!"

Everyone hurried to the Kitchen, although Usopp arrived last. Usopp walked up to Luffy and took the note from his hand. After a minute or so of reading, Usopp sat at the table with the note in front of him. "What does it say?" Nami asked as she looked over his shoulder.

"It says she apologizes that she couldn't see me off, Kaya had to take care of her head butler, Merry... Apparently, he was attacked yesterday by Klahadore. His wounds are severe so she wasn't able to get us many supplies, only a few barrels of fresh water, a fishing rod and a good amount of cannon balls. She also wrote, that we should leave as soon as we read the note because she called for the Navy. It says they should arrive sometime in the morning."

"Well, then we better leave, we are pirates after all, alright Luf-" Nami stated, about to order everyone to their stations.

"Wait!" Luffy yelled, causing everyone to freeze. "Before we leave, we need a Jolly Roger. We aren't official pirates without it."

Usopp perked up, "Do you have any ideas? I'm an amazing artist after all."

Luffy stopped for a second, deep in thought before declaring, "I do...I want our Jolly Roger to be a skull with a Straw Hat, with two white flames on either side of the skull."

"Like this?" Somehow Usopp finished the Jolly Roger easily within five minutes and it was perfect.

"That's exactly what I had in mind. Go put it up Usopp! We also need the main sails too."

"Are you sure? It's just a rough draft, what about this one?" Usopp then showed Luffy a Jolly Roger with a long nose and a bandana. "Or this one?" He then showed him one with a slightly different style.

"I think the first ones the best, we are the Straw Hat Pirates after all," Nami replied while looking at Luffy and Zoro.

"I agree with her, the other two don't have a Straw Hat at all..." Zoro responded, already walking out of the kitchen.

"Seems you've been outvoted Usopp, just remember... The Jolly Roger you've made will become known all across the world. This is the future Pirate King's ship after all. Shishishishi" Luffy said motioning with his hands in a wide arc. "Lets go Usopp, we need to leave before the Marines arrive."

Usopp looked at the note one last time before stuffing it inside his pouch. He then grabbed the Straw Hat Jolly Roger and paint, ran onto the deck and climbed the main mast towards the crows nest.

* * *

 _A few Days later..._

"Hey Luffy! You want to help me with target practice?" Usopp shouted at Luffy, who was asleep on the figurehead, which he claimed as his special seat.

Luffy jumped down from the figurehead while rubbing his eyes and walked over to Usopp. "What are you aiming at?"

"I'll be trying to hit that island over there," Usopp replied pointing to a tiny island with a mountain.

"Be careful, there are people on that island. Although, if you hit the mountain they should be fine." Luffy told Usopp while watching him aim towards the island.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember what you said about Haki, but I'm a crack shot. I am the son of Yasopp after all." Usopp announced triumphantly. Usopp didn't wait for Luffy's answer when the cannon was lined up, he fired. The shot was perfectly lined up, and the arc of the cannonball was perfect. The cannonball hit the top of the mountain, but debris fell into the forest below. Usopp had a look of horror on his face, he turned to Luffy and asked, "Did I hit anyone? Are the people of the island ok?"

Luffy was silent for a moment, before saying, "You didn't kill anyone, but the people are frantic. They are also heading this way."

Nami then chimed in, "Luffy, what do you mean by 'heading this way'?"

"I think they're swimming. They are too far apart to be on a boat." Luffy then looked at the crows nest and yelled, "Zoro! Wake up, we are about to be attacked!"

Zoro was on the deck in less than thirty seconds and scanning the sea around them. "How many and where from?"

"Two people and from that way," Luffy responded while pointing towards the now smoking island.

"Only two... You can handle them." Zoro replied dismissively, before walking to the side of the deck, sitting down and somehow falling asleep again.

"He's right Luffy. Why did you call him down? You are stronger than Zoro." Nami inquired slightly confused.

Luffy shrugged then stated, "Zoro just looks more threatening than I do."

"I guess that's true..." Usopp said while mentally comparing Luffy and Zoro. _"Eh, maybe."_

Usopp then heard something to his right, only to see two men climbing aboard with their weapons drawn.

The one with sunglasses yelled, "You dumbass nameless pirates! You'll pay for nearly killing us!" He then held his sword above his head about to swing at Usopp, only to have a pistol shoved in his face and his partner.

"Johnny, Yosaku is that you?" The man with the sunglasses looked to his right was Zoro. "What are you idiots doing here?" Zoro asked with a grin while getting up from the deck.

"Big Brother Zoro! What are you doing on this pirate ship? Are you holding them captive?" Both of the swordsmen asked, running up to Zoro and completely forgetting about the guns pointed at their heads.

"Nah, the Captain saved me from execution at Shells town. So, I joined the crew as thanks. The others are cool too." Zoro answered, looking at a bewildered Nami and an equally as confused Usopp.

"Where's the Captain? We have to thank him for saving your life!" Yosaku yelled, looking everywhere but the figurehead. Johnny then added, "He must be super strong if he saved your life, big bro."

"He is. I'd wager he's the strongest person from here to the Grand Line."

"Really! If he's that strong we just have to meet him! So, where is he?" Johnny asked while doing the exact same thing Yosaku did.

Zoro then pointed behind them, towards the figurehead. The two followed his finger and saw a man in a red vest with a Straw Hat and a smile on his face, staring right back at them. The two then sprinted over to Luffy and kneeled before him. They both shouted, "Thank you for saving our Big Bro! If he died, we wouldn't know how to continue living. Thank You!"

"Shishishishishi, you don't have to kneel. I was happy to save my Vice-captain." Luffy told the two, before looking at Zoro with an amused grin. He then looked back at the two and said, "My name is Monkey D. Luffy, Future Pirate King. The guy with the long nose is Usopp and the fashionable redhead is Nami. We're the Straw Hat Pirates."

"Is it true you are the strongest person in the East Blue?" Both of them asked, eye Luffy up and down. "He doesn't look like it," Johnny said under his breath while leaning towards Yosaku.

"Looks are often deceiving Johnny, besides the most dangerous man in the world has a single arm, and he is also one of nicest people alive," Luffy declared holding his Straw Hat with his hand.

The two looked dumbstruck, "A single arm? Who could that be?" Yosaku asked, with his mouth agape. Everyone on the Merry was intrigued by who this person was.

"Red-Haired Shanks of course. Shishishishi, he wasn't considered the world's greatest swordsman before Mihawk for nothing."

"Damn... He was stronger than Mihawk... Then, what happened to his arm?" Zoro asked walking over to Luffy.

Luffy grabbed the Straw Hat and with a massive smile on his face he announced, "He still is stronger than Mihawk, he's a Yonko after all. But, he saved my life eleven years ago... He was the one who saved my life and taught me what it means to be a pirate, He's my hero!" Luffy finished with stars in his eyes.

"You know a Yonko, your Grandfather is Monkey D. Garp. What else should we know about you?" Nami asked with her hands on her hips.

"Well, my brother is Ace, a Commander on the Whitebeard Pirates." Luffy replied as if he didn't just say something significant.

Zoro fell over from shock at what he just heard. "You're telling me your brother is Fire Fist Ace... The guy with a 550 Million Berri bounty?! That Ace!?"

"Yeah! I haven't seen him in a while though, he left Dawn Island three years ago... Sucks that he got a head start on finding the One Piece." Everyone but Luffy and Usopp fell over when they heard this information. The only reason Usopp didn't fall over was that he didn't hear about too many bounties on Gecko Island, but he knew 550 million was outrageous.

"So, where are you guys heading next?" Yosaku asked completely ignoring what he just heard.

"We are heading for Baratie, but we have no idea where it is." Nami responded weakly, still a tad shaken up from the information she just heard.

Johnny suddenly said, "Well you're in luck, I happen to know where it's anchored right now. But we will also need a ride"

Usopp then asked, "Is it far? We don't have much food to spare..." Looking at the storage room, which was nearly empty.

"Nah, it's only a couple hours Northeast from here... It's in the Sambas Region right now." Yosaku stated, looking towards a random direction.

"Well, then let's go find our Chef!" Luffy yelled to everyone on board, while Nami rolled her eyes and yelled out orders.

* * *

"So, where are we heading?" A beautiful woman asked a pink-haired Marine.

"We are heading to the greatest restaurant in the world. It's the best fine dining experience in the entire East Blue, my Love."

"A restaurant on the Sea? Is that even possible?"

"It is, the business is so successful because it follows the fish." The marine replied while pouring the woman another glass of wine.

"To your Beauty." The marine said, holding his glass up for a toast.

Before she brought her glass up for the toast, a ship caught her eye and it was heading in the same direction. "Oh, dear, there is a pirate ship over there." The woman said while hanging over the crows nest a little.

The Marine looked down at the men in his command and ordered, "Helmsman pull to the Port of that pirate ship. We are going to sink it for obstructing our view."

"Aye Aye, Lieutenant Fullbody."

* * *

Luffy noticed the Marine ship before anyone else on board and suddenly ordered, "Usopp get the port cannon ready, we are about to have company."

Everyone looked off the Port side and saw the Seagull sails. While Johnny and Yosaku ran into the kitchen, everyone else was preparing for a fight. Luffy and Zoro were patiently waiting while Usopp got the cannon ready. Nami just hid behind the mast, trying to remain unnoticed.

"My name is Lieutenant Fullbody, of Navy HQ. I have never seen your Jolly Roger before..." The pink haired guy in the striped suit said, announcing his status. He then demanded, "Where is your scum of a Captain?!"

Luffy stepped forward and announced, "I am Luffy. The Captain of this vessel. We are the Straw Hat Pirates."

"The Straw Hats...Ha, I've never heard of such a band of lowlifes. Men sink the ship, we are almost late for my reservation." Fullbody said, walking away from the pirates.

"USOPP! FIRE AT WILL!" Luffy shouted, regaining the attention of Fullbody.

"AYE, AYE CAPTAIN!" As Usopp responded as he fired. The cannonball rocketed out of the cannon and broke through the mast like it was butter. This caused Fullbody to run to the dingy pulling the woman behind him. As soon as the first shot was fired, Usopp loaded the next. Before he got the next shot off, the Marines returned fire. The shot missed the Merry entirely, going just past the mast and Nami's head, causing her to scream excessively. When Usopp loaded the next cannon, he quickly aimed where the last shot came from and fired. The shot hit dead on and the Marine ship had already suffered massive damage, suffering from fires and already taking on water. Some more shots and the Navy ship would sink, all the while, the Merry was still in perfect condition.

"Sink the ship Usopp!" Luffy yelled, noticing a few auras already abandoning ship.

Usopp followed his Captain's orders and fired again and again. As soon as one shot was off, he shot another somewhere else. Usopp didn't miss a single shot and in less than five minutes, the Marine Ship was sinking into the waves of the East Blue.

"Nami, let's dock with Baratie I'm starving. Shishishi." Luffy ordered, looking at the shaking woman sitting behind the mast.

Nami slowly got up and gazed at the Marine Ship, seeing as it was almost completely sunk, she left her cover and shakily started ordering to everyone on board to their posts.

* * *

 _Ten minutes later_

The Straw Hats walked through the entrance to Baratie. The four of them were greeted with an elegant ballroom, the smell of delicious food and a fight. The fight was between the Lieutenant and a blonde guy smoking a cigarette. The fight was over, however, with Fullbody being completely outclassed and was now begging for his life. The Straw Hats moved towards the end of the ballroom and seated themselves. While Usopp and Luffy were interested in the fight, Zoro fell asleep with his feet on the table and Nami was looking for a waiter.

Quickly, five other chefs came running to stop the blonde man. After the five restrained him, Fullbody ran towards the entrance, before looking back and threatening the entire restaurant. "I will tell the Government about this! I will burn this hell hole of a restaurant into the-" His threat was short lived when a Marine came running up behind him and screaming "Lieutenant! The Krieg Pirates have been sighted coming this way! We need to escape!"

The mention of the Krieg Pirates caused panicked screams throughout Baratie. Luffy looked at Zoro, who had awoken at the mention of them, and asked. "Whose the Krieg Pirates?"

Nami answered for him, saying, "The Krieg Pirates are an armada of some of the strongest pirates in all of the East Blue, besides Arlong of course. Their Captain is Foul Play Don Krieg, but I heard they left for the Grand Line some time ago."

"How many pirates are in the fleet?"

Nami replied, "I've heard anywhere from three thousand to five thousand. They are the largest pirate crew in the East Blue by far."

"Eh, size doesn't matter... Quality beat quantity every time." Luffy declared, looking back towards the Blonde chef.

A chef with a giant hat and an equally as big mustache came down the stairs, yelling, "Sanji! You better not be fighting the customers again, If you are I'll kick your ass."

The Blonde chef shook off the others and replied, "I'm not doing anything, you shitty old geezer. This ass wipe just refused to eat perfectly good food, so I was teaching him some manners." Sanji said, pointing to Fullbody.

"I don't care what he did, if you don't calm down, you are going to drive away all of my customers. You're lucky I don't fire you."

"And you're lucky I'm the best damn cook on this shitty ship, otherwise, customers wouldn't come here at all." Sanji replied, getting into the face of the older man.

"Seems you still need to be taught respect, dumbass!" The older man then kicked Sanji with his peg-leg, with enough force to break a neck, but Sanji flew into the Straw Hat's table. He closed his eyes as he got up and just rubbed his jaw. When he opened them, he saw Nami.

Sanji then looked back at the old chef and yelled, "Now if you don't mind, there is a beautiful woman in dire need of my assistance!"

"Fine! But, if you cause another fight, I'll kick your ass out of here." The older man responded, before looking back towards Fullbody. "And you... Get the fuck out of here!" The man yelled, running towards the Marine and kicking him in the jaw, breaking it.

Sanji looked to Nami and said, "Good afternoon Madam, I hope you are having a fantastic day. Is there anything I could assist you with or would you like to have wine and an incredible lunch with me over there?" He then pointed to a candlelit table in the corner.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll stay with my crew. You are welcome to join us though, we are looking for a chef..." Nami told the blonde.

"To serve someone as beautiful as you every day... It would be a dream come true, alas I have things to accomplish here."

The old man suddenly appeared behind him and stated, "No, you don't...Why don't you join them? It's true, you are the best chef here and we don't need you. They would help you accomplish our dream."

"We both know this restaurant won't survive without me, Zeff." Sanji said walking towards the Chef.

"Oh, It will. Hell, it'll probably do better without you here."

"What is that supposed to mean you shitty geezer?" Sanji demanded.

"It means you drive away a third of my customers and whenever there is a woman even slightly attractive you run to her like a horny dog. We'll be fine without you Sanji... Now, get the hell out of here. You are dead weight and the All Blue is waiting." Zeff answered, walking away from Sanji.

"What's the All Blue?" Luffy questioned, not really thinking.

Sanji looked at Luffy, then relit his cigarette and replied with a faraway look in his eye, "The All Blue, is every chef's paradise. The legends say, that there is a sea in the world, that every other sea flows into. The All Blue apparently has fish from every sea in the world. It is what every Chef strives to find in his life."

"Wow, sounds just like Reverse Mountain..." Luffy announced, before stealing Nami's glass of wine.

"Luffy... How do you know of Reverse Mountain?" Nami asked not even noticing the theft of her wine.

"I only know a little about The Grand Line. I know how to navigate with a log pose and how to get in, which besides the calm belt, everyone has to go through Reverse Mountain."

"You didn't answer my question..." Nami responded, still staring at Luffy.

Luffy finished her wine in a single gulp, "Oh, my bad, Shank's first mate Benn Beckman-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence, because of nearly all the patrons of Baratie started screaming while looking out on the East Blue. Luffy didn't have to know why they started screaming. He felt the 100 or so dying auras slowly approach the restaurant, but looking out the large window, Luffy could see a massive galleon. Every patron besides the Straw Hats ran to the exits, hoping to not be killed by the man everyone calls, 'Foul Play'. A couple of minutes later a large purple haired man burst through the entrance of Baratie. The man fell to the floor with a Thud. He then demanded in a raspy voice, "Please, give me water and some food! It has been 3 weeks since I ate last... Please... I've forgotten the taste of food or drink."

Sanji watched the man beg for some moments, before walking to the Kitchen. As he was walking up the stairs, nearly every chef in the restaurant came running down to see the commotion, pushing Sanji out of the way in the process. A large chef with blue hair came down the stairs last, he looked upon the starving man with cold eyes. He then asked, "Do you have any money, Pirate?"

Krieg looked up at the chef with hope in his eyes and yelled, "YES! Yes, I do ... I have tons of Berris on my ship. I will pay you after you feed me and my crew."

A chef with sunglasses emerged behind the blue haired man and declared, "Patty... You can't trust this man. He is Foul Play Don Krieg, the Ruler of the East Blue! We should kill him while he's weak right now! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Patty looked at Krieg for a few more seconds before looking at the staff around him and responding, "Carne is right. This man will try to kill all of us the second his strength returns. But we aren't killing him...Carne! Go call the Navy. I'll watch him, we don't want him slipping away." This announcement started to rally the staff around Patty. Although, before they could get out of control, Sanji returned with a massive bowl of fried rice and a bottle of wine. This effectively stunned everyone in the restaurant, besides Zeff, who was walking behind with a massive sack of food.

Sanji walked down the stairs and pushed Patty out of the way, walking up to the starving man. He put the bottle and bowl in front of him and said, "Eat. No one, no matter what they've done in life, deserves the struggle and pain of starvation."

Don Krieg looked at Sanji with tears in his eyes and tore into the food. In less than two minutes the entire bowl was empty, Krieg then ripped the cork out of the bottle with his teeth and drank it without care for air. Zeff watched the man for a while before dropping the sack of food beside him. "Here. Feed this to your crew."

Patty looked at the two in confusion before yelling, "What are you doing?! Don't you know who he is!? That man is notorious for backstabb-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP PATTY!" Zeff screamed, completely losing his composure. Zeff calmed down a moment later, "You don't know the pain of starvation. You don't know how hard it is to survive... You don't know the feeling of weakness. You don't know what it is like to be so tired you can hardly move." Zeff the turned around and faced his staff, " All of you shits listen up... Any person who is hungry is welcome here no matter where they came from or who they are."

"But, Owner Zeff..." Patty stated weakly, quickly shrinking from the man's gaze.

Zeff looked back at the chef with fire in his eyes and yelled, "I don't want to hear another word from you, Patty!"

" **Cough**.. **Cough** " Krieg cleared his throat and looked up at the old chef. "So, You are Red-Leg Zeff. The man whose kicks were so strong, they left footprints in steel. I thought you were killed in the Grand Line."

"We survived the Grand Line, but I am the only survivor of my Crew. A storm devastated our boat. Although, judging by your ship... It seems you didn't fare much better." Zeff stated, looking at Krieg's galleon through the entrance.

"We were in that accursed sea for over two weeks, before a single man destroyed every ship in my fleet besides that one," Krieg announced pointing back through the entrance towards his wrecked galleon. "The only things I could see of the man were his golden hawk-like eyes and his tiny ship.

"Shishishishishi" Everyone's attention shifted to Luffy, who was about to fall out of his chair listening to him.

Krieg walked over to Luffy with a glare on his face, "What's so funny kid?"

"Just the fact that an entire fleet of five thousand pirates couldn't fight a single person to save their lives, and the fact that you only survived was because you fled from the battle. Even If you ran into Mihawk, running won't save your life. He will follow you to stave off boredom." Zoro perked up instantly when he heard the name of the World's Greatest Swordsman.

Everyone besides the Straw Hats, Zeff and Sanji looked at Luffy in disbelief. Krieg looked at the man with the straw hat for a moment before smirking, "And you think a weakling like you could do better?"

Luffy stared at the man for a second before answering with a sneer, "With ease."

Having enough, Krieg let out a battle cry and broke through the table separating him from Luffy. He then stomped over the table and grabbed Luffy by his neck, all the while Luffy was giving him a smug grin. Zoro the burst out laughing, "Hahahaha, you are dumber than you look, better let go of the Captain. Unless you want to die here." Zoro finished that statement with complete seriousness, putting his hand on Wado Ichimonji and carefully watching the deranged mans actions.

Luffy looked at his crew, then back to the Chefs and said, "Fuck it." Krieg looked back at Luffy, just as he grabbed his arm and squeezed. Immediately, Krieg fell to his knees, letting go of Luffy and nearly crying from the pain. Luffy quickly came to the realization he was wearing armor, which was confirmed when his sleeve rolled up his arm revealing a golden forearm. Luffy then gripped the man's arm even tighter crushing both his bones and the metal armor, causing Krieg to shriek and wail in pain. He then ripped off the man's overcoat revealing armor that covered everything but his hands and head. Luffy then shook his head at the failure of a Captain, "What a pansy, you could have done so much with that gold..."

Luffy suddenly lets go of the already crushed and limp arm, then ordered the broken man. "Go back to your crew. They are starving, and you will only die staying here. He is almost here."

Krieg looked at Luffy in fear and asked, "Wha...What is your name?"

"Monkey D. Luffy, Future Pirate King."

Krieg looked at Luffy one more time, before climbing to his feet, running to the food Zeff left, grabbing it and running for his galleon.


	6. A Duel of Demons

**Disclaimer… I don't own One Piece**

 **Actions**

 _"Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

"Hey old man, you said you went to the Grand Line right?" Luffy asked while walking up to Zeff.

"I did," Zeff replied, still watching the door Don Krieg just scurried out of. Zeff then looked at Luffy and continued, "I was in Paradise for about a year."

"Then do you have a logbook?" Nami perked up at the question and watched the man intently, waiting for his answer.

Zeff looked at Luffy then to Sanji and demanded, "Sanji! Are you going with them or not?!"

Sanji looked at Zeff for a second then asked, "Are you kicking me out?"

"Yeah, dumbass, I'm kicking you out. You can only come back when your bounty is as high as mine was! So get the hell out of here."

Sanji looked dejected for a moment before looking to Luffy and declaring, "You got yourself a cook, Future Pirate King."

"Great! I knew you would be a Straw Hat!" Luffy then looked at the old pirate and questioned, "Oh yeah, Zeff, do you have a logbook?"

"Yeah Yeah, I'll get it. Just wait a damn minute." Zeff ordered while climbing the stairs and grumbling to himself about impatient kids and the Grand Line.

Luffy watched him for a few seconds, before glancing towards the entrance and coincidently the North. _"He's here,"_ Luffy thought with a hint of anticipation, because of how massive his aura is. He had heard stories from Shanks of course, but to feel it for himself... It's truely something to behold. Luffy then called out to Zoro, tearing his eyes from the entrance and looking towards his crew, "Zoro! Get ready." This got the attention of everyone in Baratie.

Patty then asked, "Is it Krieg? Has he returned with his crew to finish us?" This question caused every Chef besides Sanji and Patty to pick up their massive utensils in defense. Patty then opened a compartment under the staircase and declared, "If he has, I'll give him some dessert!" He then pulled out a large lobster-shaped bazooka and aimed it towards the entrance.

"Shishishishishishishi..." Luffy unintentionally laughed at the antics of the Chefs, causing some to shout at him in anger and others to stare in confusion.

Zoro also stared at Luffy in confusion for a minute, before asking with evident excitement in his voice, "Is it him?! Is he here?"

Nami then inquired, "Who are you talking about? Who is Him?"

Zoro, still looking at Luffy, answered, "Dracule Mihawk...A Shichibukai and The World's Strongest Swordsman." Hearing this, every Chef dropped their weapons and stared in fear at Zoro, some even dropped to their knees in defeat. _"A Warlord has come...Why has a warlord come to the East Blue? We will be lucky to survive... How will the restaurant survive?"_ All of these thoughts entered the minds of the chefs.

Sanji then took a long drag off his cigarette, blew it out after a few seconds, then asked Luffy, "How long do we have?"

Luffy looked back at the entrance and stated, "Five minutes...At the most."

"Five...minutes" Nami looked at Zoro, who had a maniacal grin on his face. "WHY ARE YOU SMILING?!"

Zoro looked at Nami with the grin still plastered on his face and calmly explained, "It is every swordsman's dream to face the strongest. It is my dream to beat him, although I didn't think our duel would be this soon."

"But you'll die... You can't do this!" Nami stated weakly while looking at the green-haired swordsman, She the looked at Luffy hoping he would support her...

"No, he won't," Luffy declared, "If Mihawk goes for a killing blow... I'll end the duel."

She continued to look at Luffy in disbelief and replied, "Luffy, I know you're strong, but he isn't some run of the mill pirate... The man is a Shichibukai... He's one of the strongest people in the world." Just as Nami finished, Zeff came walking back down the spiral stairs with a leather book in his hands.

He then tossed the small book to Luffy and said, "Here, I hope this helps on your journey." Zeff then stated, "Just remember... The Grand Line isn't a predictable sea. The impossible is possible and happens often. Hurricanes can form in minutes, Tsunamis, Tidal Waves, Waterspouts, even normal navigation is useless there."

Nami looked away from Luffy, then at the retired pirate with confusion, "Then how is it possible to traverse the sea?"

Zeff looked at her and simply said, "You need a log pose. And don't ask for mine, I threw it out years ago." He then looked around the restaurant and his staff, some of whom were on their knees praying, others crying. "What the hell is wrong with you people? Get back in the damn kitchen, we might have customers soon."

Sanji then said, "I doubt you will have any more guests today, Zeff."

"And why is that brat?" Zeff responded, crossing his arms over his chest. A second later, a massive wave caused most of the chefs and Nami to fall over and scream in panic.

Nami fell but before she hit the floor Sanji caught her and quietly said, "Be careful, Nami-swan. You're 90% of the reason I joined this crew."

"What the fuck was that!?" Zeff yelled, regaining his balance. He then yelled at Patty, "Go lift the Anchor! I will not allow this ship to capsize!"

Luffy looked to Zeff and ominously declared, "He is here." He then threw the logbook at Sanji, who plucked it out of the air. He then ordered, "Give that to Nami! I'm sure it'll be useful." Luffy then ran out of the entrance, followed by Zoro and nearly every chef.

Zeff looked at Sanji, who was still holding Nami and asked, "Who the hell is out there, Sanji? I wasn't told shit."

"Dracule Mihawk has come."

* * *

Luffy and Zoro watched as a massive galleon had been cut in half vertically… But as the two waited as the galleon split apart and sank, they soon learned that it wasn't bisected… The galleon had been cut horizontally as well, watching the ship split apart then fold on itself. Luffy noticed Zoro had the look of awe on his face, he then said, "If you are going to have a chance against him… You can't hold back. If you have something experimental…use it. He is the greatest test for anyone who calls themselves swordsman."

Zoro blinked and dropped his head, with a small smile he replied, "I know what he is… I know, I'll be humiliated if I hesitate." Zoro then looked at Luffy and stated, "Luffy…if he goes for the kill...let him. I can't fight at my best if there's nothing to lose…"

Luffy looked at Zoro, only to see he was completely serious. He then looked back to the galleon and declared, "Get ready. I'll get his attention." Just after Luffy finished, he flared his aura as much as possible.

* * *

Mihawk turned his head towards the incredibly large aura that flared, but quickly looked back to the bugs who disturbed his journey. He watched with cold indifference as every pirate on the galleon were either swimming for some floating debris or were dead. One of them had the nerve to actually try and shoot him… Before he shot, the Krieg pirate yelled, "What the hell was that for!? We didn't do shit to you!"Just as the weakling shot, Mihawk pulled out Yoru and masterfully deflected the shot back, killing the man. Mihawk then swiftly sheathed his prized blade and looked to the man in the golden armor. He then said, "I assume you were the Captain of this vessel?"

The man with mutton chops then declared, "Yes…I'm Commodore Don Krieg, The greatest pirate of the East Blue. I will take your head for what you have done to my ship."

"I doubt that…"

Krieg's armor started to shift and from his shoulder plates, came four gun barrels. He then pulled out a large golden saucer, extending a handle and hit the end of it on the ground. Causing a blade to extend on the end. "Hahahaha, let's see if you can handle me at Full Power!" Krieg then fired his shoulder guns at Mihawk, but the man disappeared from his sight. Don Krieg could only blink before he was bisected from shoulder to hip. Krieg then dropped to his knees and his torso slid off to the side, landing with a **CLANG**.

Zoro watched the exchange with extreme interest, but even he could barely see Dracule Mihawk move, let alone attack… Dracule Mihawk then looked to Luffy and Zoro. He blinked and the Hawk-eyed swordsman was gone. A voice behind the two then elegantly stated, "So, you are the child Red-Haired gave his arm for." Zoro then turned around and he saw him… Dracule Mihawk, standing less than a few feet away, looking at his captain.

Luffy then replied, "Yes… Shanks is the man who saved my life, my name is Monkey D. Luffy." Luffy then looked back at the wreckage of the galleon and the rest of the Krieg Pirates, who were still in shock by what happened less than thirty seconds ago. He then said, "I see we got your attention."

"You did… To feel an aura like that in this sea is… extraordinary. To then notice it was concealed is even more impressive."

Zoro then injected with hints of excitement, "You used Yoru to cut that galleon, correct?"

Only then did Mihawk look to the Green-haired Swordsman. Mihawk then fully faced Zoro and responded, "I did."

"Would you be willing to duel? You seem to have some time to waste, chasing trash like that." Zoro stated, motioning back to the wreckage and remaining Krieg Pirates.

Mihawk gave the swordsman a calculative glance, looked at his three katana and saw Wado Ichimonji... The youth had a strong aura. Mihawk then ordered, "Come, we will duel on the wreckage." Mihawk then disappeared, only to reappear on the other side of the wreckage, facing Baratie. Zoro jumped to the wreckage and Mihawk asked, "What's your name?"

"Roronoa Zoro" Zoro announced, putting on his bandana and pulling out his three katana, making a Z.

Amused by his actions, Mihawk asked, "Are you prepared?".

Zoro went into his Three Sword Style stance and inadvertently releasing the entirety of his killing intent.

"I see… As a sign of respect towards the previous owner of that meito, I will sink you with mine." As Mihawk said this, he slowly pulled out Yuro.

* * *

Luffy was watching the standoff, when Johnny and Yosaku pushed through the crowd of chefs screaming, "Big Brother Zoro! Where are you!" The two saw Luffy and continued to push towards him.

"Johnny...Yosaku, be quiet and watch." Luffy ordered the two, pointing at the swordsmen who had yet to move.

Johnny then asked fearfully, "Is that?"

Zeff moved beside Luffy and stated, "Dracule Mihawk, The World's Greatest Swordsman. He is the man that stands above all others in the ways of the sword."

"But, Big Brother is already the Strongest! He has never been beaten!" Yosaku yelled, pumping his fist.

"Maybe in this sea, but the World is much bigger than just the East Blue, boy. Don't forget, this is the Weakest Sea." Zeff declared, glaring at Yosaku.

Nami then walked to Luffy and inquired, "What are they doing?"

Luffy looked to his right and saw Nami and Sanji. Then behind him and saw Johnny, Yosaku, and the Chefs crowding around him. He then loudly stated, "For Zoro, he is looking for an opening and strategizing. For Mihawk though… I assume he is evaluating him and waiting for Zoro's attack. He does use an unorthodox style."

Just as Luffy finished, Zoro yelled, " **Three Sword Style, 108 Pound Phoenix!** " And sent three blue compressed slashes through the air, leaving thick gashes in the quadrisected galleon and destroying where Mihawk was standing. Mihawk jumped in the air the avoid the slashes. Zoro sent three more slashes, hoping the man was at the mercy of gravity. Just as the attack got close to Mihawk, he sent his own powerful green slash. The attack completely overpowered Zoro's and forced him to rush forward. Zoro then planted his right foot in the ground, twisting his body as hard as he could to his left and with an aura of a dragon he yelled, " **Dragon Twister!** " Sending the attack towards the swordsman who was about to land.

To all of the spectators, a Tornado suddenly erupted as Zoro spun, threatening to drag in and consume everything too weak to resist its winds. Wreckage, water and body parts of the Krieg Pirates could be seen inside the cyclone, being cut and sliced over and over again. The tornado then started to drift to Mihawk, who was curiously watching the tornado of blades and death rage towards him. With a single vertical slash, the tornado dissipated… Leaving only a panting Roronoa Zoro and Dracule Mihawk, Mihawk then taunted him, "I'm disappointed Roronoa Zoro… To be tired after only three attacks, I expected more from you."

Hearing his criticism was worse than all of the losses to Kuina and every insult he ever received, _"Is the gap that big? After all these years of training and hard work? No! I didn't come all this way just to lose like this!"_ Zoro then regained his breath, "Hahaha… We have only just started." Zoro sprinted towards Mihawk, when he was close he put his katana on either side of his head, dropped his stance and yelled, " **Oni Giri!** ". The attack was stopped perfectly, but it didn't deter Zoro. He pushed him off and sent an intense barrage of strikes towards the Warlord, but each was either blocked or deflected. He put all his strength in his strikes, trying to use as much force as possible without losing technique and he had the World's Strongest on his heels, but then he lunged… and the Swordsman disappeared from his sight.

* * *

Luffy was watching the duel with extreme interest. His best friend, First Mate, Nakama, was in a fight that meant more to him than anything else in the world. He's in the fight of his dreams and he was making Mihawk respect him. For his determination, his will, strength, and style. Although that was all he would accomplish against him, Zoro was slowly, gradually losing speed and ferocity with every strike deflected. Then it happened, Zoro lunged and gave Mihawk a giant opening and he took it. Mihawk struck Zoro on the back of the neck with the guard of Yoru, knocking him to the ground and seemingly unconscious.

* * *

He was losing consciousness, but Kuina's voice kept him awake. He could hardly move, but his master's teachings echoed in his mind. With a jolt, Zoro had a small burst of energy fill his body… It took all of his strength to stand, let alone lift his katana. Zoro stumbled his way towards the swordsman and lunged again. Putting all his weight and strength behind the attack, but Mihawk merely sidestepped and watched as he fell to the ground. Zoro felt darkness overpower him, but as the world faded, Luffy's voice ripped through the void, "Zoro! Get back up! You haven't even scratched him yet! I thought your ambition was to be the best this world had to offer!" Zoro willed his eyes open and his body to stand.

Mihawk watched as the swordsman stood again, and his curiosity got the better of him. "Most wouldn't have lasted this long… What is driving you to such lengths? Is it your Captain? Your Ambition?"

"I can't…afford to lose… If I do…then everything I've worked for…all of my promises and oaths would be lost. I will take death before that!" Zoro finished with newfound strength.

"I see… So it is will that drives you forward. I will give you one more attack Roronoa Zoro. I expect to see your best, so don't disappoint me." Mihawk declared, getting into a stance with Yoru at his side.

Zoro smiled and held out his hands, each katana facing opposite ways. Zoro then yelled, " **Three Sword Style-Secret Skill,** " Then Zoro started to spin the katana in opposite directions, his right hand clockwise, his left counter-clockwise and started sprinting towards Mihawk. Mihawk met him halfway and with his final attack Zoro yelled with everything he had left, his heart, will, and strength... " **3000 Worlds!** " As the blades made contact, a force exploded from Zoro, knocking out the remaining Krieg Pirates, but it wasn't enough... Blood exploded from Zoro's chest and for a few moments, everything was quiet… Then the katana in Zoro's hands shattered like glass. Zoro discarded the dead blades and sheathed Wado before turning towards Mihawk, who had a small cut on his cheek.

"What are you doing?"

Zoro held Wado Ichimonji in his right hand and with a large smile said, "Scars on the back, are a swordsman's shame." Leaving himself open for death, Zoro closed his eyes and waited for the strike...

Dracule Mihawk flashed him a genuine smile and stated, "Admirable!" and slashed.

"Zoro!" Luffy and Nami yelled.

"BIG BRO!" The two bounty hunters screamed, already having tears streaming down their faces.

"That dumbass!" Sanji declared with his mouth wide open, dropping his cigarette.

Nami then gave Luffy a death glare and screamed, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO STOP THE FIGHT?!"

Luffy looked at Nami with a reassuring smile and replied, "He didn't kill him," Luffy looked at the Chefs around him and inquired, "Do any of you have medical training?"

* * *

Zeff watched the duel with intrigue until the end, then he couldn't believe his eyes…Conqueror's Haki… He knew the kid was strong, but to have the qualities of a king… Zeff then looked at Luffy, _"I doubt he would follow someone he doesn't completely respect…"_ Zeff then pushed Luffy shoulder and asked, "Hey Kid, what did you say your name was?"

He looked at Zeff and answered, "Monkey D. Luffy, Future Pirate King."

Zeff then looked back at Mihawk with a smile, "Your Garp's grandson aren't you?"

"I am" He then disappeared…

* * *

Dracule Mihawk strode to the unconscious and bleeding man, contemplating whether he to take his life now… _"He would be a worthy adversary with some training and experience… He might even usurp my title, but he will have to survive insurmountable odds..."_ Mihawk then looked to the man with the Straw Hat and thought, _"If he follows him… I need to see the man's resolve for myself."_ He then put Yoru to Zoro's neck and leaked some killing intent. The result was instantaneous, The man named Monkey D. Luffy appeared before him and swiped Yoru away with his now blackened pipe.

"I can't let you kill my First Mate, Shichibukai." Luffy announced with a glare, twirling the pipe around his fingers.

Mihawk nearly laughed at his sudden change of demeanor, "Oh, you think you can stop me?"

"No battle is guaranteed… I will do everything within my power to ensure his survival."

Johnny and Yosaku were already swimming to the wreckage and when they arrived, Luffy ordered, "You two get him out of here. A chef on Baratie is waiting…He'll help him." The bounty hunters never even looked at Luffy. Johnny pulled Zoro on some floating debris, while Yosaku grabbed Wado Ichimonji and they started to swim back to the restaurant, pushing him along the way.

Mihawk watched the two for a while before looking back to Luffy. The man's aura was flaring with anger and his glare could break a Vice Admiral's will with ease. Luffy then yelled, **"Repentance!"** Mihawk watched with overwhelming curiosity at what he assumed to be a Devil Fruit, but unlike any, he had seen before. He had a brilliant, and blazing golden halo above his head, along with his blackened pipe. The two stood at least a hundred feet apart, but Mihawk could still feel the radiating heat… He felt overwhelming killing intent coming for the man and when the steam around him became thick enough, he disappeared. Luffy reappeared behind the Shichibukai and with two hands he brought the pipe down on his head with all his might. Mihawk felt the intent through observation and spun bringing Yoru up to deflect the blow, but he still felt the full weight of the attack. The heat of the fire caused his sweat to evaporate as Mihawk pushed him off his blade and rushed to unleashed an onslaught of attacks while he recovered. Thrusts, swipes, strikes, all of them were smooth, controlled, calculated and powerful. The attacks were too fast for everyone, except Luffy, then a pattern became apparent in the assault, and Luffy found an opening. Mihawk jabbed again but Luffy spun missing the blade by millimeters, he then swiped across his body aiming at Mihawk's face.

Mihawk saw the attack a moment too late, although he was able to negate much of the damage because of his late block. Mihawk was propelled back to the end of the makeshift arena by the blow and a bruise started to form under the cut made by Roronoa Zoro. Mihawk sprinted forward and was about to send a overhead slash at Luffy. Luffy could have dodged the attack, but he felt Zoro stirring, which acquired his attention for just a moment. A moment was all Mihawk needed, he jumped in the air, adding his haki to his already imbued blade and brought it down on the pirate's head. Luffy noticed just in time and brought his pipe up to block the attack, but it didn't matter… Yoru sliced through the pipe like butter. The Straw Hat fell from Luffy's head, landing on the ground next to him. Luffy looked at the Straw Hat, then looked back at the swordsman as he strode towards him with a smile on his face. Mihawk then put Yoru to Luffy's throat and spoke, "You did much better than I expected, Monkey D. Luffy. Although, I do have the World Government to consider, I am a Shichibukai after all… Maybe I should snuff out this flame before a wildfire engulfs the world."

Luffy grabbed the blade with his hands and with a smirk, he replied, "If you take my life, I will take what defines you and what you value the most." He then heated the tip of Yoru, making it glow brightly to emphasize his point. Mihawk pulled Yoru from his grasp and let the man stand. Luffy looked down at his Straw Hat and his pipe, Luffy threw the pieces of pipe into the sea and watched them sink, thinking of his brothers and their dream. Luffy then inspected the hat on the ground, seeing a thick gash on the brim, he then picked it up and thought, _"I hope it can be repaired… Maybe Nami can help."_

Mihawk then asked, "What is your ambition, Monkey D. Luffy?"

Luffy gazed at the man and replied, "To be the freest man in the world… So, I need to find the One Piece."

Mihawk then told him, "I see. Although, to become the King… One will have to fight the Yonko… Can you survive against Kaido, WhiteBeard, or even Big Mom? They are immovable objects that will oppose you and stand in your path in the New World. I doubt even I could contend with them."

"If they are in the New World, then we have time to prepare for such enemies. We will cross those roads when we get to them."

* * *

Zoro awoke and looked around him, everyone was still looking towards something. He grabbed Sanji's leg and asked, "Where's Luffy?"

Sanji looked down at Zoro and pointed ahead, then replied, "He's fighting Mihawk."

"What? Why?"

Nami looked at Zoro and said, "When the duel was over, He was going to kill you…He was about to kill you, but Luffy stopped him."

Zoro looked to his right and saw Yosaku crying his eyes out and clutching Wado Ichimonji. Zoro pulled the meito from his grasp and unsheathed the katana, holding the blade to the sky and above his body. He then yelled, "Luffy! Can you hear me?!"

Luffy looked over to Baratie, he yelled, "Yeah! I can hear you!

"I'm sorry that I lost… If I can't become the Greatest Swordsman of this World, you would have problems… **Cough** … I vow to never…Lose Again! Even against the man who stands before you now. I will never be defeated again! Is that alright with you, Pirate King?!" Zoro finished in tears.

Luffy flashed a smile and replied, "It's fine!"

He then looked at Mihawk and saw a genuine smile on his face. Mihawk then announced, "It is too early for you to die, Roronoa Zoro! Learn about the World! Learn about yourself! And become strong, strong enough to surpass this blade. I will wait for you at the top, prepared for our final duel! No matter how many years it takes! Surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!"

* * *

 _The next day…_

"Sanji! We gotta go!" Luffy yelled, looking at the entrance of Baratie while waiting for his cook.

Nami walked up to Luffy, handed him his Straw Hat with a smile she stated, "It was an easy fix, I also put a string on it so you can wear it around your neck." She then put her arms on the banister a gazed at Baratie for a while, she then said, "It was nice of them to give us supplies. I bet we could make it to LogueTown easily with everything we have."

Luffy put the Straw Hat back on his head and replied, "Think of it as compensation for stopping Don Krieg. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been free."

Sanji walked out of the entrance with a sack and a briefcase pushing through the chefs in his way, when he got to Merry, he said, "Let's go."

Luffy asked, "No goodbyes?"

"Nah"

Sanji went to jump on to the Going Merry but was stopped by the man he respects most. "Sanji!" Zeff yelled. "Don't die out there."

Sanji looked back to Zeff with tears in his eyes, he got down on his hands and knees and screamed, "ZEFF! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE! I OWE YOU SO MUCH! I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR ME! NOR WILL I FORGET YOUR TEACHINGS! I WILL FIND THE ALL BLUE, AND RETURN TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT!"

Zeff wiped the tears from his eyes and replied, "Dumbass, men should leave without looking back or saying a word."

Sanji jumped on to the Going Merry and Luffy yelled, "Let's set sail, for Conomi Islands!"

 **Thanks for all the favs and follows... And sorry for the longish wait, classes have been a bitch these last couple weeks.** **Please leave a review on how I could improve the fight scenes, I think they are my weakest link.**


	7. Fried Fishmen

**Disclaimer… I don't own One Piece.**

 **Actions**

" _Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

 _Three Days Later…._

Luffy, Nami, and Usopp were sitting at the table awaiting dinner, while Zoro was still sleeping off his duel against Mihawk, and Sanji was finishing a full-course meal for his friends. As Sanji put the platters down on the table, he asked, "Why are we going to Conomi Islands? I heard that is Arlong's territory."

Luffy grabbed a piece of meat, woofing it down and with his mouth full he replied, "Itsh ish." He then swallowed the meat and continued, "We just have some unfinished business with him."

"So we are just going there for Arlong? That's it?"

Luffy looked at Nami while tearing another piece of meat from the bone. She then looked to Sanji and declared, "I know for a fact there is almost 100 million berries stashed there… Also, the Conomi Islands is my home, and I can't go to the Grand Line with him there… "

Sanji stared at her for a second and reiterated, "The Conomi Islands is your home… So…you've lived under his rule for the last decade…"

Nami took a long sip of her tea before replying, "Yes. We all lived under his boot as slaves. He would kill anyone who couldn't pay the fee each month or oppose him in any way. But, enough about that, we need to have a plan for when we arrive at Cocoyoshi Village tomorrow morning."

"Your right about that," Zoro returned, staggering through the door and falling onto the bench next to Luffy. He then continued, "But first Nami, you know the bastard and his crew best. We need to know anything and everything about them."

"I expected this… Alright, the entire crew is fiercely loyal to Arlong and his beliefs. They all believe that Fishmen are superior to humans. They're all master swimmers and extremely strong on land." Nami then rolled up her left sleeve and showed everyone her mark, "This is their Jolly Roger…"

Sanji took in the tattoo for a moment, he then leaned back and closed his eyes. Taking rips from his cigarette and blowing them out to calm his nerves and stop his hands from shaking with anger. He then asked, "Is there anyone in this damned crew we shouldn't kill?"

"Well…there's one fishmen who treated me nicely and with respect…"

"What's his name?" Luffy inquired, keeping his focus on Nami entirely.

"Hatchi. He's an octopus Fishman and also a swordsman. He's kinda slow, but funny when you get to know him. He was the one who would patch me up after Arlong's beatings."

"You said he's a swordsman," Zoro affirmed suddenly, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. Zoro then continued, "Do you know his style?"

Nami then shook her head, "No, I don't. Although, I can say, that he uses six extremely heavy swords. He also bragged about being the second best Fishman swordsman in the entire world."

Zoro flashed a grin to the other Straw Hats, "Six swords and the second best swordsman of all fishmen. That sounds fun."

Usopp then said, "Remember Zoro, you are supposed to keep him alive."

"I know that long nose. I guarantee the octopus will survive our encounter… Though, he will walk away with some healthy reminders of what happens when someone hurts a Straw Hat."

"Just as long as he lives, Zoro," Luffy stated, making sure it was hammered home. "So Nami, anyone else we should know about?"

Nami thought for a moment, then answered, "Besides Arlong, only one other Fishman could cause problems. His name is Kuroobi, he is a practitioner of Fishman Karate, and he's more skilled than Arlong in that regard. He's also good with a sword, but hasn't used one in years."

Sanji then inquired, "Do you know what type of Fishman he is, Nami-swan?"

"No, he never told me, nor did any of the other pirates. Although he is easily the most human looking Fishman of the crew."

"What about Arlong?" Luffy asked Nami, regaining the attention of everyone at the table.

Nami looked away, trying to keep her resentment under control. She took a deep breath and replied, "Arlong, better known as Arlong the Saw, is a Sawshark Fishman and easily the strongest of the pirates. If I hadn't watched you and the Shichibukai fight, I'd say he is still the strongest thing in this blue." Nami finished while looking at Luffy. "He is the largest Fishman in the crew, and his saw nose is very noticeable. He has two tattoos, the one on his chest, which is a red sun and the other is on his forearm, his Jolly Roger. He is extremely aggressive towards anything other than his crew and since he his a shark… he is even stronger and faster underwater than a normal Fishmen. I've seen him use fishmen karate, his teeth, and even his nose as weapons. Though when he is angry, he uses his kiribachi, a massive saw-sword thing. He has some techniques to attack things on land from the water, and he's from the Grand Line. So, he isn't a pushover. He's also smart… He has deals with the Marines to keep his bounty low. He can also talk to Sea Kings and control them."

Usopp then asked, "Any others we should watch out for?"

Nami immediately shook her head and replied, "No, those three will cause the most trouble, and he should only have a handful other crewmates on the island."

Usopp then spoke up again, "Nami, you said you had almost 100 million berries stashed there. What is it for?"

Nami sighed and replied, "It is part of my plan…" Nami then looked at Luffy and asked, "Do you have a plan? If you do, then it might be better than mine."

Luffy then said with a childish grin, "I was going to take them out as soon as we got there, while you go get the money. Shishishishi"

Nami shook her head and replied, "Let's try my plan first, it's pretty similar…"

"What is it?"

"The 100 million is part of a bet, between myself and Arlong. If I was able to get 100 million berries, I could buy back my island, and he would leave. This was ten years ago, and I was still young when we made the bet. So, I know there are many holes in this agreement, but I still want to try. I will take the 100 million and see if he holds up his end of the deal… If he doesn't, I'll find you all at the center of town and you can go finish him off."

Everyone looked at Luffy to see what he had to say, but he only sat there looking deep in thought for a while. Luffy looked at Nami and simply declared, "No."

This declaration stunned Nami for a second, and she responded, "No? What do you mean, No?"

"I mean, we aren't going with that plan. The monster doesn't deserve the chance to walk away from this. Especially after all the pain and suffering he's caused. Besides, what's to stop him from coming back after we leave? His word? His honor? Sorry, but I trust those as far as I can throw them… Those are just empty promises, and he will take advantage of it, but since you've gathered that money for the good of your island, give it back to them. We don't need it, so I'm sure they could use it." Luffy said with finality.

"I agree. If it's true, that Arlong killed your mother… The man doesn't deserve to have a luxury like a negotiation." Zoro added while slowly getting up to grab a bottle of sake.

Sanji put another cup of steaming tea in front of Nami and told her, "Nami-swan, I agree with the two idiots..."

Nami pouted for a while, before declaring, "Fine. However, we're getting the 100 million first."

"That's fine." Luffy replied.

Usopp then questioned, "How do you know the berries will still be there? Haven't you been saving up for ten years? Surely someone else knows where it is, or has seen you stash it."

Nami looked at Usopp, and with a matter of fact tone she answered, "I've never told anyone about my stash. I've also been cautious when bringing money in, I always came at the dead of night and always watched my back. Besides, the stash is underground. It's not like the money is in a raidable place… If that isn't enough, the last time I saw the stash it was all there."

Usopp then asked, "And when was this?"

"About a month ago."

"So, where will we find the bastard?" Zoro asked, as he sat back down and opened the bottle.

"Whenever Arlong is in the Conomi Islands, he spends all of his time at Arlong Park. It's a fortress built using the money stolen from us for the past decade. The place only has two entrances, one from the sea and one for the road leading to town. He's a dictator, he wants to control every aspect of the lives under him. Out of the ten or so crewmates on the island, two of them always patrol the main island, but they switch shifts a lot."

Luffy then stood up and announced, "Alright! I got a plan… Nami and I will see if her stash is still there, while everyone else waits at the center of Cocoyoshi Village. If it's all there, we'll come back and gather the entire town. Nami will explain our motivations for being there and hopefully...they don't see us as some pirates coming to replace Arlong." Luffy then took a darker tone, "If the stash is gone, however… You guys will know. Nami doesn't have to come with us, but when I get back… We'll immediately go to Arlong Park and finish what this fucker has started. Let's pick our targets now, so there is no confusion… I'm getting Arlong." Luffy finished, punching his palm for emphasis.

"I got the octopus." Zoro declared.

Luffy then asked, "Can you handle him? You're still recovering from the duel…"

"I won't be at my peak, especially with one katana, but I should be fine." Zoro replied, giving him a thumbs up.

Luffy stared at him for a while before saying, "Alright. I trust you, make sure he doesn't end up as calamari."

Sanji then stated, "I'll take the Kroobi guy…"

"I'm stuck with the underlings?! Really!? There will be like 10 of 'em!" Usopp cried with crocodile tears running down his face.

"Don't worry Usopp. You'll have Johnny and Yosaku to help you. Besides, when we finish our fights, we'll also help." Sanji responded with a smile.

"That makes me feel a little bit better…"

"What's wrong long nose? I thought you wanted to try out those new toys of yours?" Zoro questioned while giving him a smirk.

"Of course I want to use them. But against Fishmen..."

Luffy then slapped him on the back and declared with a smile, "You'll be fine! Your Nakama will be right beside you."

Luffy then looked to Nami and asked, "So Nami, how far are we from Conomi Island?"

"Two hours at most, but an hour with the wind in our sails."

Luffy then announced, "Alright everyone, tomorrow marks Arlong's last day."

* * *

 _The Next Day…_

Luffy and Nami left the others at the center of town, while Luffy followed Nami down a small dirt path, as they walked he asked, "So, where's the stash?"

"It's under my late mother's tangerine farm. My sister Nojiko tends to it now, maybe you'll meet her." Nami finished with a fading smile.

The two continued down the dirt road in silence for a while, Luffy then inquired, "So, what was your mom like?"

Nami let out a sigh and replied, "She was my adoptive mother. Still, Bell-mére was confident, smart, strong and slightly childish." Reminiscing caused a small smile to form on Nami's face. As she looked up at a flock of birds leaving the trees, she then continued, "We weren't wealthy, but she always had a smile on her face when Nojiko and I were around. Looking back on it now...she gave everything to us and supported us in any way she could. She always told us to be as strong as boys and that if we survived, good times would come... I wonder how much she sacrificed so we could be as happy as possible...I wonder if she would be proud of what we've become today."

Luffy then stated, "She sounds like an incredible woman."

Nami wiped away a stray tear and declared, "She was."

The two walked in silence for another five minutes when Luffy abruptly stopped himself and Nami. He then asked, "You said your sister should be the only one there, right?"

Nami had concern flash over her features, she then said, "Yes, what's wrong?"

"...I can sense eight aggressive auras surrounding another."

Nami nearly started running towards her home, when Luffy grabbed her arm and ordered, "When we get there, I will deal with the others. You get Nojiko inside and stay there. Don't open the door unless you hear my voice, got it?"

Nami nodded her head, and the two started to run down the path. They ran for another minute or so, before hearing a gunshot tear through the air. Nami looked at Luffy with tears already streaming down her face, he picked her up and used **Shave** to arrive as fast as possible. The two appeared within seconds in an orchard of tangerine trees, but in front of them looked to be an interrogation. A shapely tattooed woman, who looked to be around the same age as Nami, was on her knees with a bullet wound in her shoulder, surrounded by marines. Every Marine had their guns trained on her head with what seemed to be a Captain with mouse ears in front of her asking questions.

Luffy looked at Nami, and with a gentle smile to calm her down and vanished before her eyes...

* * *

The Marine Captain then slapped Nojiko and yelled, "Where the hell is the rest of it, bitch?! Arlong said there were 100 million berries here, but there was only 90. WHERE THE HELL IS THE REST?!" The Captain then punched her, causing her cheek to swell and some blood to trickle out of her mouth.

Nojiko looked the slimy marine in the eyes, then spit as much blood as possible in his face. While the Navy Captain recoiled and gagged as he started to wipe away the blood from his eyes, Nojiko remarked with a smirk, "You punch like a bitch." The Captain had fury in his eyes as he brought his fist back to deliver another punch, when a man in a Straw Hat grabbed his forearm.

The man then said, "I thought it was common knowledge to not hit women... But, I guess someone as corrupt as you wouldn't care." Every other marine then pointed their guns at the man, but he only glared at the marine in his grasp, causing every marine beside the captain to slump to the ground, foaming at the mouth. The man then yelled, "Nami! Come get your sister!"

Some seconds later, Nami ran from behind the man with the Straw Hat and started to pull her back into the house. Although Nojiko resisted slightly, she followed her sister. When the two were in the house, Nojiko began sputtering out questions, "Who the hell is that guy? Why the fuck is he here? He came out of nowhere. Why the hell are you with him?"

Nami ignored her for the moment and ran into the bathroom trying to find a first aid kit. When she came back, she told Nojiko everything. All about the Straw Hats and her time with them. All about her bet with Arlong and the plan. When Nami finished explaining everything and dressing her wounds, someone knocked on the door. Nami unfolded her pole and stood in front of Nojiko to protect her. Then the voice of Luffy sounded through the door, "It's me. You can come out now."

When the two left the house, Nami looked at the bloody and unconscious marine and asked, "What did you do to him?"

Luffy followed her eyes and looked back down at the man, "Nothing much... Your sister is much tougher than he is." Luffy then looked back to Nami and stated, "He also gave me some valuable information."

Nami met his eyes and asked, "And what kind of information did he give?"

"The kind you won't like. I'll tell you on the way to your stash."

* * *

Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku had been waiting for close to an hour. And the entire time they had yet to see a single person, Fishman or otherwise. It was like the town's been deserted, but considering Arlong's base was less than a ten-minute walk down the road... It wasn't that far fetched.

Just as Zoro was about to fall asleep, Sanji kicked his leg and pointed towards the path Luffy and Nami took. He looked over to see three people, Luffy, Nami, and a blue-haired woman. When Zoro looked closer, he saw the blue-haired woman was injured but was still comforting Nami, who had bloodshot eyes and Luffy's Straw Hat. Luffy was also missing his trademark smile, so Zoro quickly got up and motioned for everyone to follow him.

When the two groups got close enough, Luffy introduced Nojiko to the rest of the crew. After the meet and greet was finished, Zoro questioned, "So, what about the stash? Was it there?"

Luffy looking grim, replied, "No... It's all gone. Every last berri was taken by Arlong."

"So, when are we going? I'm ready to kick that bastards ass." Sanji asked.

Luffy looked at Nami and asked, "Do you want to join us? I won't force you to come."

Nami looked at Nojiko, who gave her a smile. She then looked back to Luffy and said, "I'm coming with you. I want to see the bastard beg for his life."

Nojiko the interjected with a grin, "I'll get the townspeople, I'm sure they'd love to watch this."

* * *

When the Straw Hats arrived at Arlong Park, at least fifty civilians were standing in their path, all equipped with makeshift weapons. Some had kitchen knives, others had planks, a few had swords, and one scarred man with a pinwheel on his hat had a pair of pistols. When the townspeople noticed their arrival, the murmurs stopped, and they made a canyon for the pirates to travel. Standing at the front of the crowd were Nojiko and the scarred man. Luffy walked up to the two and nodded to Nojiko, he was about to walk past the two, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. The man with a pinwheel met his eyes. The man saw no fear, only determination...He then asked, "What will you do after Arlongs gone?"

Luffy then declared with a small grin, "We'll go to the Grand Line."

The man a bewildered look on his face...He couldn't believe a pirate would just leave after fighting for his life. He then inquired, "So...we'll be free?" Luffy gave him a small, soft smile and nodded.

Luffy then walked past the two, before he stopped and turned back around. He then looked at the man and asked, "What is your name?"

The man then studdered, "M-M-My names Genzo."

"Well Genzo, just leave the rest to us." Luffy ordered, motioning to his crew behind him to follow.

The Straw Hats, the duo swordsmen, and the crowd of civilians were standing outside of Arlong Park. The high walls concealed everything but the main building. The only thing Luffy could see of the building was the yellow and red colors. The top of the building, high above anything else around, had what looked to be a saw, with a black and red Jolly Roger attached. Luffy walked up to the massive door and blew on his knuckles. He brought his fist back and threw a real punch. The door ripped off its hinges and rocketed across the courtyard, past the confused Fishmen and slammed into the opposite wall. The destruction caused by the door was impressive, to say the least... The hole was twice as big as the door, and the wall shattered like it was made of glass.

Luffy then walked through the doorway and yelled, "Which one of you fucks is Arlong?!"

Arlong put on a smug smile, stood up from his 'throne,' and with a cocky voice, he answered, "I am Arlong. Who are you to come barging-"

Luffy didn't wait for the bastard to finish his speech, as soon as the Fishman announced himself, Luffy used Shave to appear right in front of him. He then brought his foot up and spartan kicked Arlong in the stomach, sending him crashing through his 'throne' and tumbling through the main building behind him. Luffy looked at the Fishmen around him, the looks of fear and intimidation were amusing, but Luffy didn't care for them. He then walked through the hole in the main building and greeted by the already devastating amount of destruction he had caused. He continued towards the stunned Fishman before him, who was on his knee, trying to catch his breath. Luffy then grabbed his nose, forcing him to meet his eyes and stated in a calm voice, "Today, is the day you die Arlong. I will be your executioner...I hope you're ready to meet the god you worship." Luffy then broke his famed nose like a twig and rammed it into his shoulder.

The Fishmen of the Arlong Pirates waited with baited breaths for their Captain to reemerge from the building, holding the man in his hands, beaten and bloody... But they only heard a sound few of the Fishmen Pirates had ever heard before, the shrill screams that echoed from the building were terrifying. Then a pair of gunshots came from nowhere, and two of the Fishmen's heads exploded like watermelons, covering the others in yellow brains and blood. The rest of the members looked back towards the entrance and saw three men. Two were glaring and advancing towards Hatchin and Kuroobi. The other with the pistols stood further back but wasn't any less threatening, having his guns trained on his new targets. Zoro then put on his bandana and unsheathed his Katana, releasing more killing intent than any of the Fishmen had ever seen. "We shouldn't waste any more time, besides I'm excited to face a Fishman." Zoro declared with a toothy, feral grin.

* * *

Arlong was rocketed back into the courtyard, bleeding from his stumped nose, mouth, and shoulder. His face was purple and swollen, while his chin looked to be broken. He looked to his brethren and saw a disturbing sight. Hatchin had cuts all over his body, and it looked like he was about to lose an arm. Kuroobi was on his back, not breathing, with his skull caved. With another quick look, he could tell he was stomped to death. Six of his other crewmates either had bullet holes riddling their body, or their heads exploded. Although the other four were fighting a man in a black suit and two average swordsmen. Arlong spotted the shooter, a short, skinny guy with overalls and a bandana. Arlong smirked and started to stagger over towards the kid with his Kiribachi dragging behind him, intent on showing why the superior race of Fishmen were to be feared... But was stopped by a voice that could freeze water. "I hope you aren't planning on hurting anymore of my friends, Arlong... If you did, I would get even angrier than I am now." Arlong didn't even want to see the face of the man, he bolted for the water as fast as he could, but as he got within five feet, he was stopped by a vice grip on his hair. The hold wiped him around and threw him backward into the air like he was a paperweight. He then crashed through the window, into his prized cartographer's room.

* * *

When Luffy jumped through the hole in the room, he was already pissed, but when he saw the stacks and stacks of what looked to be maps... Luffy looked at Arlong, with fury in his eyes that wasn't present before. Before, his eyes were calm, indifferent, to the suffering he was causing... Arlong was still on his ass rubbing his head when Luffy kicked him in the chest and back on his back. Luffy then picked up his leg and twisted his ankle, dislocating it. Not giving the Fishman any time to process what just happened, Luffy twisted him on his side and stomped down on the knee of the leg still held in his hands. The series of pops and cracks sounded like gunshots echoing across the compound and the screams could be clearly heard by the civilians, who were still surrounding the gates of Arlong Park. Only three people had enough courage to watch from inside the compound...Nami, Nojiko, and Genzo watched the fight with nothing but contempt on their faces. Arlong then screamed, "YOU MONSTER!" He then wildly swung his Kiribachi at the man... Luffy caught the blade with ease and shattered it.

Luffy then picked up the Fishman by the neck and announced, **"Repentance."** Luffy then flared his aura, causing the paper in the room to catch fire and Arlong's skin to sear. He then lifted Arlong, and let him watch as he set fire to this room, a room that represented nothing but slavery. Luffy actually smiled, watching the man's face contort from pain to confusion, then anger and pain again. Arlong's eyes went white as he tried to grab the man before him, but was thrown through all the rooms under them, causing the entire building to collapse under its own weight.

Luffy jumped out of the hole he created and landed in the courtyard. He lowered the intensity of his aura significantly and looked around at the devastation his crew caused... They had finished with their fights, leaving only one Fishman alive, Hatchin, and judging by the amputated arm and the missing body, he will indeed walk away with reminders. Luffy turned back around to the flaming ruins of Arlong Park, to see the Fishman dragging himself out of the flames. His shirt was burned off, his legs and torso were charred from the exposure to such heat. The crowd watched, as Arlong continued to drag himself towards the water, in the vain hope it would somehow save him. He was constantly repeating, "Mercy… Please, have mercy."

When he got close to the edge, Luffy grabbed him by his remaining hair and looked him in the eyes, Luffy then questioned, "You want mercy? After everything you've done? I wonder how many people begged for mercy, just like your doing now. I wonder how many of those people died or were enslaved by your hands? You don't deserve mercy. You deserve the pits." Luffy then turned him towards the crowd of people at the entrance. Luffy then loudly inquired, "Nami, do you have any last words?"

Nami walked to the crippled Fishman before her, her eyes only held hatred and disgust. She then bent down to meet him at eye level and spit in his face. She then turned around and without looking back, said to her Captain, "Do what you think is best."

Luffy looked down at the fishman below him, he then put his knee on his back to hold him down and put his hands on the sides of his face. As the fishman screamed for mercy, he ripped his head from his neck and watched as his body fell lifeless below him(God of War style). Luffy then used Shave to appear in front of the mouse-eared Marine that was hiding behind the crowd. He shoved the head in his hands and said, "There did your job for you." Luffy then walked back through the crowd, not looking back at the man. Who he had a look of confusion and horror plastered on his face, at the sight and remains of the infallible Arlong. Nezumi looked at the man and asked, "Wha-What's your name?"

"Monkey D. Luffy. Future Pirate King."

The marine captain looked at the crew one last time, then dropped the lifeless head and ran inland screaming along the way about bounties...


	8. Loguetown

**Disclaimer… I don't own One Piece.**

 **Actions**

" _Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

 _Two Days after the fall of Arlong Park..._

"Hello! Hello! Is this Navy HQ?! Can you hear me?!" A Mouse-eared marine shrieked over the receiver.

A voice the spoke over the den den mushi, "Yes this is Navy HQ. Identify yourself immediately."

"This is Captain Nezumi of the 16th Branch, Marine Code 00733! I have a request for HQ!"

The voice then lazily replied, "You don't have to yell, I can hear you just fine."

Nezumi then continued, "Listen! There's a pirate named Monkey D. Luffy, who wears a Straw Hat! I deem him and his crew members enemies of the Government and extremely dangerous. I am sending their photos now!"

After a few seconds, the man said, "I only received two photos. Who is the other one?"

"The other is the Wandering Demon, Roronoa Zoro! He is the best swordsman in this blue!" Nezumi replied, still yelling. He then continued, "Both of them fought Dracule Mihawk and survived. I also have visual confirmation that Straw Hat Luffy killed Arlong the Saw without taking a single hit, while Roronoa Zoro nearly killed his Lieutenant, Hatchin with one Katana! They have three others in their crew, and they are all extremely dangerous! Give them the highest bounty possible!

"Roger that. After a quick verification, I'll send it for approval." The voice said, still sounding monotone and uncaring.

Nezumi then shouted, "Don't forget! These guys are dangerous pirates! 'Dead or Alive' only! I want the posters all over the world!"

* * *

The days that past after Arlong's death were all a hazy blur, filled with enough booze, food, songs, and laughter to last a lifetime... The first day after the fall, A thunderstorm hit the island, causing the flames to die and the blazing remains of Arlong Park and its inhabitants to turn to ash and embers. While the storm hit, the villagers found and raided the Shark Superb, finding 80 million berries stashed. When townspeople and villagers from all over the island heard of Arlong's demise, they came to Cocoyashi Village to thank the Straw Hats, and as thanks, they threw the largest party the Island had ever seen.

During the late night festivities, the villagers usually left the Straw Hats to their own devices, although some made the mistake of challenging Zoro and Luffy to a drinking contest. The contest was over after a couple hours, but the two pounded drinks for another eight hours before they passed out from exhaustion. Sanji was busy learning new recipes and hitting on some of the attractive islanders. Usopp was drunkenly spouting "Stories" as he called them, to anyone who would listen. Nami was nowhere to be found on the first, nor the second day of celebration, which Luffy noticed relatively quickly. He then closed his eyes and expanded his senses to encompass the Island. He quickly found her, along with her sister and someone else on the edge of the Island, about a hours walk away from anyone else. Luffy looked down at his plates of rum ham and stuffed a few in his pockets. He then grabbed the last one and his bottle and started walking.

After what seemed like forty-five minutes, Luffy had arrived, but he was significantly lighter. He was now down to the last rum ham and half a bottle of sake. Although walking to the secluded spot had sobered him slightly and he saw what the three were doing. Nami and Nojiko had lit candles around a wooden cross. They seemed to be sharing stories and laughing with each other while looking up at the stars and the moons that illuminated the night sky. Luffy could only assume that was their mother's grave, so he gave them some privacy. Luffy looked at Genzo, who was watching the two while taking pulls from his bottle. He didn't notice Luffy sit beside him until he heard someone eating.

Genzo looked over and saw someone he truly didn't expect, Monkey D. Luffy. The man who had freed them from Arlong's tyranny, the man who had so quickly earned the respect of every single person on this island. Genzo then looked back at the two and asked, "Do you know whose grave that is?"

Luffy swallowed the massive chunk of ham and answered, "It's their mother's right?"

Genzo nodded his head and said, "I was there the day she died, and I was too weak to do anything to help. But at least now Bell-mère's soul can rest in peace, knowing that both of her children are safe and are genuinely smiling again. If only she could see it for herself..."

Luffy watched the man for a while, as he finished off his bottle and threw it on his side of the boulder, which seemed to have an already sizeable pile, judging by the multiple clinks of glass.

The noise knocked the two out of their moment, they looked back and saw they had another observer. Nami then asked, "When did you get here, Luffy?"

Luffy got up and walked over to the two, as he got close he replied, "A few minutes ago, I was wondering where my Navigator was." As he stood beside the two, he looked down at the lit grave. He then held his bottle towards Nami, which she gladly took. As Luffy handed her the bottle, he noticed a new tattoo, one that is over the now missing fishman Jolly Roger. He smiled slightly at the thought, she is finally able to leave those nightmares behind and look towards the future.

Nami took a few sips from the bottle before passing it to Nojiko, she then looked back at Luffy and asked, "So, how has the party been?"

"It's great! Although, the drinking competition has gotten stale..."

Nami got up, pulling Nojiko along with her and with a grin, she replied, "Come on! We'll kick your ass and Zoro's if he ever gets off it." As the two walked off towards the still roaring celebration, Luffy looked down at the grave and to the sea before him. He took a deep breath, and with a smile, he turned around and jogged to catch up with the still giggling duo.

Genzo leaned over to the side of the boulder and pulled out another bottle. He watched as the three left and made sure they weren't looking back. Genzo then walked over to the cross and knelt down, he took his hat off his head and looked at the pinwheel again. He then plucked the toy and placed it beside the grave, he then said, "I won't be needing that anymore, Bell-mère. She doesn't need help to smile..." After a few moments, he took the cork out of the bottle and poured half of it out beside the grave. He then continued, "I'm sorry I couldn't help her when she needed it most... Although, she never lost hope, that one day things would change. That she would save this Island from that Fishman. That's more than I could've said for myself. She's stronger than I could ever hope to be... For her to bear the weight of the entire Island on her shoulders...It was a burden that should never have been thrust upon a girl her age, she always had the look of fear around the villagers... For her mark, or for how we would treat her because of what it meant, I don't know. But now she's looking forward to tomorrow and the possibilities it could bring. The passion of her dream has been rekindled by Monkey D. Luffy, and I know she will accomplish it. I know she will create a map of the entire world, if anyone can do it, It's her... I know she already has your approval to leave, but if that boy ever causes Nami to do anything but smile, I'll castrate him! She deserves to enjoy what life has to offer, she deserves to have the feeling of friendship and security. After everything that's happened, she doesn't deserve anything less." Genzo then put the hat back on his head and stood up to walk away. He suddenly felt a strong wind come from the sea and heard a familiar faint voice, like it was just beyond earshot... He couldn't make out any words, but he knew it was Bell-mère.

* * *

The next two days passed and the Straw Hats were preparing to leave. Luffy was asleep on his favorite seat, while Sanji had Usopp loading supplies. Zoro was fishing for some lunch, just wasting time really. They were all ready to set sail, they only needed their Navigator. Said Navigator was standing beside the table of her home, staring at the family photo of Bell-mère, Nojiko and herself. She had a bouquet of flowers beside her bag and the first map she ever drew in her hands. Memories flooded Nami's mind looking around the house. It was like she could feel Bell-mère looking at her... She turned around and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her. Nami then closed her eyes hoping it was real, before saying, "It took ten years. We're finally free. It is exactly like you said, If you persevere, good times will come!" She opened them again and still saw her, so she spun towards her and continued, "I'll be leaving the Island, but don't worry, they are all really nice people and reliable too. They'll help me achieve my dream because we're Nakama. We'll be traveling the Grand Line first, then the rest of the world!" Nami finished enthusiastically before calming down, "Although, I don't know how long I'll be gone or when I'll come back... But I will." Nami then noticed she was gone, so she put the map in her bag and grabbed the bouquet and walked towards the door. She turned around and said, "I'm going now..." As she pushed the door open, she felt a hand on her back lightly push her forward, causing her to stumble. Nami looked back at an empty house, realizing what it was...she smiled as she looked at the home again, before turning around and jogging towards her grave.

* * *

 _Three Hours Later..._

"I can't believe you stole all their wallets..." Usopp declared while shaking his head at a drawing Nami.

As Nami drew another card, she replied, "Some of them were crying! I couldn't let my farewell be like that."

"I guess... But don't you think that was in bad taste?"

"Hell no! After they got that 80 million payday, I only got some pocket change."

Just as Nami was about to win the game, Luffy came up from below deck and yelled, "Everyone! Come out here, there's something I need to announce."

Within two minutes, everyone is on the deck in various places, Nami and Usopp were already on the main deck, so they were beside Luffy. While Zoro was leaning against the stairs and Sanji is looking down on them from the upper railing. Seeing everyone had gathered, Luffy said, "Alright, now that we are all here... We need to start training," Nami and Usopp collectively groaned, while Sanji and Zoro grinned. Luffy continued without giving much time to digest, "We are about to enter the Grand Line. It's also true what they say about this Blue... It is the weakest. So, the Grand Line is going to be in a league entirely of its own. I'm expecting devil fruit users, tropical storms, legendary monsters and everything in between."

Nami then injected, "But we have you. I'd assume you can handle most opponents we'll meet."

Luffy looked at Nami and replied, "However true that may be... I can't be everywhere at once."

Zoro then cut in, "If you think I'm letting him fight my own battles, you're dumber than I thought you were Nami."

Sanji then glared down at Zoro and ordered, "Don't call her dumb, asshole!" He then looked at Nami and said, "I agree with most of what he said, besides just think of all the useful things Luffy could teach us."

Luffy then stated, "He's right. But I want everyone to have Observation Haki at least. I find it's the most useful for nearly everyone. Most of you know almost exactly how it works, but I'll explain it again just so there isn't confusion..." Everyone stared wide-eyed at Luffy as he explained the nuances of Observation Haki and how it's achieved.

As nearly everyone else was processing the information, Zoro said, "You told me near the start of our journey that everyone is better suited for one type of Haki... Wouldn't it be easier to just start with that?"

Luffy then looked at Zoro and answered, "Yes, it would. Although, judging by most of your personalities, nearly everyone here is more attuned to Observation. So, it like killing two birds with one stone."

Everyone stared at Luffy, but Sanji asked the obvious question, "Someone is Armament dominant? Who is it?"

Luffy then smirked and pointed at Zoro. The collective looks of confusion were entertaining, but Luffy broke then silence, "That's right Zoro... But, I have no idea which of the other two you are more attuned to."

Everyone looked at Zoro in a new light, and he had the look of confusion still plastered on his face. Zoro then asked, "Are you saying that I'm a Conqueror too?"

Luffy nodded his head with a smile and replied, "I am. And you've already unleashed it unintentionally. Although, I doubt you remember... It was during your duel with Mihawk. Precisely at the last moment of the duel, when you put everything you had in the last attack. I also know, I wasn't the only one to notice..."

Zoro tried to remember the moment, but suddenly asked, "Did Mihawk notice?!"

"Not only him," Luffy then looked at Sanji and continued, "But Zeff too."

After a couple moments of silence, Usopp asked, "So, you think I'm best with Observation?"

Luffy nodded and replied, "I do, but when you learn both Armament and Observation, you'll be a monster."

Usopp then yelled, "Yes! I'll be a Legendary Sniper from the East!"

Luffy watched with a smile as Usopp pumped his fists in the air, running around the deck. Zoro then asked, "Luffy, how can I train my Haki?"

Luffy then thought for a moment before stating, "I think we should let the Conqueror's Haki sit for a while. Although It's already been used, it should continue to grow as you do. With Armament, I assume you remember my demonstration on the dingy a few weeks ago?"

Zoro slowly nodded and replied, "You said I need complete confidence in my strength and to focus everything that I have; my strength, willpower, and intent into a body part... But you also said I wasn't ready."

Luffy stated, "Sadly, you still aren't." This caused Zoro to form a scowl on his face, Luffy then continued, "But it will happen faster as you fight against stronger opponents and build a resilience to the training."

Luffy then looked at Nami, who had the look of despair on her face and asked, "Are you alright, Nami?"

She looked at Luffy with teary eyes and asked, "Do I have to go through this training? It sounds like it'll hurt."

As Luffy was about to explain why it was necessary when a News Coo flew down to Luffy and motioned for payment. Luffy sighed and begrudgingly pulled out the required amount of berries. Luffy then grabbed the paper out of the pelican's mouth and opened it. Two wanted posters fell facing up on the deck for everyone to see...

Dead or Alive

-Straw Hat Luffy-

Monkey D. Luffy

-50 Million Berri-

Dead or Alive

-The Wandering Demon-

Roronoa Zoro

-25 Million Berri-

Nami was already on the railing with an aura of despair around her. She then stated, "Now we'll have people trying to kill us. This is too soon... we are still in the East Blue!"

Sanji looked jealous, "Why the hell does Moss Head get such a high bounty, and I get jack-shit!? How will the ladies around the world see my incredible features now?"

"Shishishi, 50 million! I didn't think that was possible in the East Blue!" Luffy laughed, thinking back to Ace's first bounty.

Zoro looked back and forth between the bounties and said, "25 million... Not bad, but considering yours... eh, it's good enough."

Usopp remained silent during the whole thing, the longer his face is off wanted posters, the easier his life would be in his eyes.

* * *

 _A week later..._

As Zoro walked through the streets of Loguetown, he kept his eyes peeled for any arms shop. What did catch his eye, however, was what looked to be a fight. Walking past the crowd of people, he finally saw a shop. Luckily, Luffy was somehow able to convince Nami to give some him money. Although 100,000 berries isn't much to work with... Zoro walked through the door to find a short, balding man behind the counter. The man noticed him enter and immediately saw Wado Ichimonji on his hip. He tore his eyes away from the blade and said, "Good morning my lad! Come here, come here! Are you looking to sell a blade?"

Zoro walked up to the counter and responded, "No, actually I'm looking for two other Katana..."

As soon as Zoro finished talking the man inquired, "Are you sure you aren't looking to part with that blade I could give you a great deal! How about 500,000 berries?"

Zoro gave the man a dead look and replied, "This blade isn't for sale."

"You drive a hard bargain how about a million?"

Zoro sighed and asked, "Look I need two Katana for 100,000 Berries, you got any?"

The man scowled and replied, "Yeah look over in those barrels over there. They are the trash weapons. They are all worth 50,000."

As Zoro walked to the edge of the Store, a woman with glasses and a floral shirt walked in. Zoro didn't pay much attention to their conversation, something about a sword that needed polishing, it was a pretty dull conversation anyway. Although, as Zoro looked through the barrel, one Katana caught his eye... It's a red, black, and gold work of art, but there was something about it, something that called to him. Zoro picked up the blade and noticed immediately, it was cursed.

The innate bloodlust in the blade was impressive but seemed to be controllable. Zoro was so engrossed in the Katana, he didn't notice when the woman made her way over to him. She then said, "Isn't that Sandai Kitetsu? Why is it in the trash barrel?" It was a question for the shop owner, but Zoro wanted to hear the answer either way. This sword is not worth 50,000 Berri.

The man started to sweat and stutter, "I-I-I will n-not sale that blade! To anyone! I will not be responsible for the demise of its wielder!"

The woman tilted her head in confusion and asked, "What do you mean, the 'demise' of the wielder?"

Zoro then interjected, "It's cursed, right?"

The man looked at Zoro with shock, but replied, "Incredible... You're the first swordsman I've ever met who was able to tell on touch alone. But, that blade is the third generation Kitetsu... All of them are cursed. It is said, they can't be sheathed unless blood is spilled, friend or foe... It doesn't matter to the blade... I cannot sell that blade."

Zoro flashed the man a smile and unsheathed the sword, "I like it! I'll take it!"

The man had the look of fear and almost screamed, "Did you not hear me?! I will not sell that katana! Now put it away before one of us is killed!"

A woman then walked out from behind the shop and slapped the man on the back of the head before she yelled, "Dammit Ippon, you've had that blade for years! Just get rid of the damn thing. The man seems capable."

Ippon was about to say something, but Zoro injected, "How about this? A test, my luck and this things curse... Let's see which is stronger!" Before anyone could object, the sword already left his hand. Then only gasps were heard. As the sword spun in the air, Zoro stuck out his arm and closed his eyes, he could hear the Katana in the air, but feel it's intent to cut. Then he felt it restrain itself, as it passed by his arm and sliced through the wood below, to its hilt. Everyone looked at him like he was insane, especially the woman with glasses. As she fell to her knees, she let out a sigh of relief. Zoro smiled with satisfaction as the blade easily slid out of the floor. He then said to Ippon, "I'll take it!"

Ippon stared at him for a second, before running to the back of his shop. A few moments later, he came back with one of the most beautiful Katana he'd ever seen... Ippon placed the Katana on the counter and said, "Please, take this free of charge."

As Zoro walked to the counter, he could feel the aura of the sword. It was incredible, it felt like the sword had a mind of its own... Zoro then stopped before the Katana and asked, "What's its name?"

With a grin, Ippon replied, "Hisuitsubame"

 _'Hisuitsubame, huh.'_ Zoro then drank in the Katana's appearance, Its pummel has a tiger fang on its end, and the guard is a golden hollowed out Yin Yang. The handle is black with a single green diamond in the middle, and its sheath is a Dark Rosewood. The hanging cord is black leather wrapped on the tip of the sheath, with two golden metal balls on the ends of the knot. Zoro then gripped the blade and slowly unsheathed it, the blade collar is gold with intricate engravings. The blade ridge and back is some type of bright steel that glistened in the light, while the groove is made entirely of Jade. The brightest green Zoro had ever seen... The blade pattern is slightly wavy as well...the Katana is brilliant. It has some weight but also feels light at the same time. It feels perfectly balanced and fits his hand flawlessly. Zoro felt at ease with the Katana in hand, like he could weather any storm, or face any foe...

Zoro looked to Ippon, who was still sporting a massive grin, the shopkeeper then declared, "That Katana is almost a thousand years old, but my family has only had it for some generations... It's cursed you see. The blade rejects anyone not related to the original wielder. The story behind that Katana is that it was once the blade of a Shogun of Wano Kuni! But it was stolen and used to murder the Samurai while he slept... It was then lost in time for almost five hundred years before my one of my ancestors won a duel and claimed it as a prize. This is one of the 21 Great-Grade Weapons of this world... The blade has only collected dust while in my care. It deserves to be used by a true swordsman... Someone like you. I just ask two things from you in return for these blades... You must rise to be the World's Greatest Swordsman, and I need that 100,000 berri."

Zoro then sheathed the Katana and pulled out the two stacks of paper and handed it to the man. Zoro then said, "Thank you... I vow, I will beat Dracule Mihawk with this blade." Zoro then put the two sheathed swords on his hip, the Kitetsu on the bottom, Wado in the middle, and Hisuitsubame on top. Zoro then looked at the women in the shop, and the girl with the glasses then shook her head and claimed, "Three Swords... I heard Roronoa Zoro uses three Katana."

Zoro looked at her and noticed her strikingly familiar appearance... He then shook off the feeling of Déjà vu and replied, "I've gotten that before, I heard he's a demon." He then gave her a smirk and a wave over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

* * *

Even before they got to the island, Luffy felt several strange auras, a couple that were unusual and another that constantly exuded confidence and was roaming around the island. The other two were separated but suppressed, and as soon the Straw Hats neared the Island, they started to converge. The other had some quick flashes of hostility, but never longer than a minute or two... Strange... As soon as the Straw Hats docked, they agreed to meet back up on the ship, sooner rather than later. Luffy was able to convince Nami for money and although it took a lot longer than he thought, he went on his own way. At first, he wandered around and found himself in a back alleyway which led somewhere interesting... As Luffy followed the path, he found a bar. The sign said, 'Gold Roger.' With a smile, Luffy walked down the stairs and pushed through the swing doors and saw a dusty, rundown establishment. He then heard a croaky voice yell, "Hey man we're closed! Get the hell outta here!"

Luffy looked to his left and saw a small, wrinkled man sitting in the corner and staring at a skull. The man poured himself another drink and downed it. Luffy then walked to the last stool and sat down, looking at the old timer from behind the brim of his hat. He then said, "The sign outside said this is the 'Gold Roger.' I assumed it is a bar."

The old man pulled down his glasses and replied, "You were right. This is a bar, it been a while since I've had any customers though."

"I was just hoping for a drink and a story. Maybe pass the time, since I'm lost. By the way, what the hell is that on the table?" Luffy asked, pointing at the massive skull.

The barkeep then looked back at the skull and announced, "This is the skull of a man named, 'Killer Giant.' He killed hundreds of pirates during his time."

"Sounds like he was strong."

The barkeep then smiled and replied, "He was, but Gol D. Roger, fought and killed him. Fastest fight I ever saw." Luffy was on the edge of the stool listening to the tale. Seeing this, the barkeep continued, "I swear, he was something. But all it took was a single stab by Gol to put the man down. His last words were: 'Roger, No man can touch you. I praise you as the Eternal Pirate!'

"That's Awesome! Tell me more!"

"I've seen hundreds of dangerous pirates in my days, The King of the Eric Pirates, Silver Silvers the famous gunner, the devilish kung fu brothers, silver axe, just to name a few. Though before Roger, they were all children in comparison... You wanna hear more?"

Luffy nodded, which caused the barkeep to smile again. He then stated, "People nowadays don't usually care for these tales. With the government cracking down and all."

"I don't care just tell me more!"

"Alright! Calm down. Gol D. Roger, the only pirate who didn't fear the dangers of the Grand Line in the slightest... I met him you know, he sat on the same stool you are now. The bar was full at the time, but I could hear him perfectly. He was just about to go on his voyage to the Grand Line. He asked me for a bottle of rum and drank the thing in five seconds flat. He then told me, 'I'm about to go on a little stroll through the Grand Line! I'm beyond Excited!' As he said those words, everyone in the bar froze, it was like he took the wind out of everyone's sails. "

"I told him of the rumors of the Grand Line, but when he heard my arguments, he just laughed and said, 'That's why I'm going! Now then, give me a barrel of rum. That should do for today.' After that, he drank the place dry, then set sail all too casually the next morning. The next time I saw him was twenty-two years ago today... At his execution, when everyone in the world called him King."

Luffy then injected, "He was cool, right? Gol D. Roger. He's what every pirate should strive to be. That's why I went out to sea, to go to the Grand Line and find the One Piece. I'm gonna be the Pirate King!" Luffy finished with a massive grin.

He then saw it, this man in his bar is the spitting image of Gol D. Roger himself. His confidence, determination, and stature... This man, he will be the next Pirate King! _'To have met two in my lifetime... I must be the luckiest man in this blue!'_ The barkeep then pulled himself out of his thoughts and said, "After having a customer like you, I feel like closing up shop a little later today."

Luffy the started shaking his hands and replied, "Don't do that for me."

The barkeep got up and said, "It's decided, Nothing in this world could change my mind!" He then walked behind the counter and continued, "I haven't had such a customer in so long, the drinks are on the house today!"

Luffy then turned around in the stool and asked, "You got any sake?"

The old barkeep pulled a bottle off the shelf and grabbed two sake cups. He then poured the two drinks and said, "Let's toast to the Eternal Pirate King!" He then lifted his cup.

Luffy grabbed his cup and answered, "To the Eternal Pirate King!"

 **I had Food poisoning all of last week, it was terrible. Sadly, I had to shorten the chapter because I didn't have much time. Sorry to all the people who like Yubashiri, personally it's my least favorite sword Zoro has ever had. Oh yeah, the reason there is 80 million instead of 90 is because Arlong used 10 million to pay off the marines. Are the bounties too high? Idk it fits with my plan.**

 **Hisuitsubame- Jade Swallow. Sorry I had to change it, the fact that 'Jaded' and 'Swallow' don't form a word in** **Japanese annoyed me immensely. So, I settled for this.**


	9. Smokes and the Mystery Mountain

**Disclaimer... I don't own One Piece.**

 **Actions**

' _Thoughts'_

"Dialogue"

After Luffy finished his sake with Raoul, the old man gave him crude directions to the execution platform. Although, when Luffy found main street, his senses were assaulted by the various scents that littered the street. Luffy's mouth began to water when the distinct smell of meat filled the air. He followed his nose and was rewarded with a stall that has every type of meat he could imagine. Pig, deer, sea king, tiger, snake anything! This small stall, manned by a wrinkled and bearded man is a slice of heaven on earth! Luffy bought one of everything, spending all his berri there. Luffy stuffed the extra food in his pockets and was on his way. Just following the flow of people as they went about their day.

After a good half hour, Luffy found himself in a big square. Then he saw it, towering above anything else in the center of the marketplace, a platform made of metal and wood. Luffy stopped, causing a few people to run into him and a few to yell, but he didn't care. Luffy ignored them and started to slowly walk towards the platform, before breaking into a jog, then a sprint. When he got close, he jumped into the air and used MoonStep. Nearly everyone in the square noticed the flying man, some thought they were going crazy, while others were already running out of the square looking for the marines.

When Luffy stepped onto the platform, he felt something strange. The wind changed and whipped around him, picking up speed and slowing down, it felt abnormal. Putting his concerns in the back of his mind, Luffy turned around to experience what one of the most influential men to ever live saw in his final moments. As Luffy took in the sights of the market, he noticed the clear sky quickly change with black clouds rolling in from nearly all directions... Seeing this, Luffy promptly sat in a lotus position and expanded his observation.

Out of the twenty thousand or so people on the island, only ten people were of any interest. Luffy could feel that everyone but Zoro was heading back to the ship, although he was about to run into Sanji. So, that problem should take care of itself. He could feel two auras quickly heading towards the square. One of them was large, excited, and confident, while the other was slightly afraid and much smaller. The other four were already in the square, one seemed to be angry at something or someone, while the other was flooding with joy and felt different. The other two were the same as before...strange, like they were concealing their presence but at the same time weren't. Like they were trying to draw someone's attention... One of them moved throughout the crowds, but never close to the platform and always near an exit to the square. The other was on a roof and was easily the largest aura in the city. Although it was _massively_ concealed.

Luffy tried to explore the depths of the aura, but it flared slightly, engulfing the whole island with ease. Luffy opened his eyes and looked to his right towards the man. All he saw was a figure in a black cloak, but the man was facing towards him and exuding... recognition? Luffy looked at him for a moment, then stood up on the platform and matched the man's aura. The two stared at each other for what seemed like hours, but Luffy felt a aura close in and looked away to see no one, when he looked back, the man and his aura were gone.

Luffy tried to find the other aura, but it had vanished as well... As Luffy receded his aura, he rechecked his crew to find all but Sanji and Zoro weren't at the Merry, but they were close. Luffy grinned and looked out at the city again, feeling the wind blow. His moment of bliss wouldn't last however, he suddenly heard someone yell, "Straw Hat Luffy! You are surrounded! Come down, and you will be given a fair trial!"

Luffy looked down and noticed he was indeed surrounded, by marines and civilians alike. He then looked at the man beside the marine with the megaphone. He had gray hair, a white coat with fur linings and cigars strapped along the chest and arms. The man was also smoking two cigars at once, which had to be expensive, judging by the gold bands on them. He also had what looked to be a metal baton? Something strapped to his back that had a small aura of the sea... Luffy realized they were waiting for his answer, so he replied loudly, "No."

Gasps echoed throughout the market, as the Marines trained their rifles on the pirate. The man with the cigars then brought out a piece of paper and after a few moments stated, "You are Straw Hat... I'm surprised you are so young! Someone of your age shouldn't have a bounty this large, not to mention the rumors surrounding you..."

Luffy didn't let his eyes wander from the man, not with the emotions that resonated from him. Aggression, excitement, confidence, and indifference. Luffy then asked, "What's it to you? You don't look like a Marine."

The man chuckled, while pulling the apparent jitte off his back and bounced it off his shoulder. He then dropped the poster and announced, "Oh, but it is. My name is Smoker, the acting Captain of this island. In the five years I've been stationed here, no pirate has gotten away from me. All of them were like you, thinking the world is their oyster. But they all realized it's impossible to stop justice." Smoker then pointed the jitte at Luffy and declared, "After I deal with you, I will arrest your crew down at the docks. So, Straw Hat Luffy, do you have any last words as a free man?"

Luffy looked across the market, noticing the thunderstorm that quickly swallowed the island. Luffy looked towards the crowd, then the marines, and finally back to Smoker. He then answered at the top of his lungs, "I WILL BECOME THE PIRATE KING!" Just as Luffy announced that, he felt a tingle on the back of his neck, and an aura explode, causing his body to instinctively jump off the platform as fast as possible.

To everyone in the market, the pirate somehow teleported off the platform, dodging a bolt of lightning and appearing above the burning platform now jumping on air. The inhuman feat caused some to faint and others to doubt the marines that protect them. Smoker, however, decided to capitalize on the confusion. He jumped into the air, propelling himself with smoke towards the pirate while bringing his jitte up to incapacitate the flying man.

Luffy watched as the platform crashed to the ground, engulfed in a bright orange blaze. He looked around the market at the many faces, all of them were wide-eyed and confused by his actions. Luffy then noticed an aura thick with intent flying towards him at a considerable speed. Luffy quickly turned his body upside down, and used Moonstep to get to the ground as fast as possible. As he neared the cobblestone, Luffy turned again in the air, landing on his knee roughly and waited for the man to follow him. Suddenly, smoke clouded the area around him and out of the smoke, the marine captain stood across from Luffy, his jitte at the ready. Smoker then asked, "I have one more question for you, Straw Hat... How did you evade that?"

"Instinct. But, I also have a question for you…"

Smoker then replied with a smirk, "Oh, and what might that be?"

"Why didn't you take out Arlong? I'm sure you've known what he's done over the years. So, what's stopped you?"

Smoker dropped his smirk and as he answered, his tone grew darker, "The Polestar Islands may be close to the Conomi Islands, but Arlong wasn't my jurisdiction. Captain Nezumi has been trying to catch him for years."

"Are you talking about the Marine with mouse ears and whiskers? Because that bastard was taking bribes from Arlong. Shishishi, wow. And people say The Navy deserves respect. The Navy is corrupt as hell."

"Shut the fuck up!" Smoker shouted as he expanded his smoke and surrounded the pirate in a thick fog.

Luffy widened his eyes slightly seeing the devil fruit powers, but then smugly grinned and stating while dodging a swipe from his weapon, "Oh, you have a Logia. I didn't expect to see one in this Blue."

A voice came out of the smoke and replied, "You are much more knowledgeable than you appear Straw Hat Luffy, I have the Moku Moku no Mi." Smoker then swiped his jitte at Luffy's back, trying to take him off guard, but he dodged again.

Luffy then said, "And you still have much to learn." Luffy then slid his foot and hand back, flattened his palm, before coating his hand with Armament haki. When Luffy thrust his hand forward, a shout of pain was heard as the smoke funneled ahead and collected to form a rolling body on the cobblestone.

When Smoker finally stopped tumbling, he willed himself onto his chest and slowly struggled to get to his feet. He lifted his head and yelled, **"White Blow!"**

As he sent out a torrent of smoke from his arm. The smoke was faster and thicker than anything the captain had thrown before, but just as the attack neared the pirate, he disappeared. Smoker blinked and widened his eyes for a moment, only to be hit by a invisible force that sent him rocketing into a building on his left. Smoker slowly pushed the debris and got up again, but this time, he was sure he would die. It felt like his entire rib cage was shattered and his whole right side as well… Smoker slowly exited the hole to find the pirate standing before him with his jitte in hand. Taking a closer look at the pirate, he was easily 6' and was almost as muscular as he was. Where he had more mass, Monkey D. Luffy was leaner. His sharp, cunning eyes were hidden by his straw hat, but he could barely make out a scar surrounding his left. He wore a red vest with gold buttons, cuffed jean shorts, and sandals. Smoker then looked down at the weapon in his hand and prepared for the worst.

Luffy looked at the marine before him and could tell from his body language, he was finished. He thrust the tip of the jitte in the cobblestone and declared, "This is over. Maybe I'll see you again, maybe I won't. But if I do, it'll be in the Grand Line and you better be stronger than you are now." Luffy then closed his eyes, focusing on all of the malicious auras in the square and released a potent wave of Conqueror's Haki, knocking out all but two marines. While the captain in front of him fell to the ground, passing out from the injuries and pain.

* * *

As Luffy walked down main street, he was stopped by the man the black cloak. Looking closer at the man, he is a tall man with a red tribal tattoo on the left side of his face. The man has spiky black hair with a slight stubble and a sly grin plastered on his face. Luffy's eyes widened with shock and recognition, _"He's… He looks just like Gramps described."_

The man then dropped his hood and said, "That was impressive as it was surprising. You've certainly progressed much further than expected."

Luffy stared for at his tattoo for a moment before replying, "He may have been my first Logia user, but with the training I've received… this was only a warm-up for things to come."

The man's grinned widened, he then stated, "It would seem Garp trained you well. But, your aura doesn't feel like any type of user I've encountered…" The man trailed off, expecting Luffy to satisfy his curiosity.

Luffy picked up on this and his matched his grin. He then said, "I'll tell you my secret, when you tell me who's on the roof with the top hat."

His smile didn't falter, but he did look to the sky as he answered, "He's my second in command. He may be young, but he has an immensely bright future... So, I'm actually intrigued, what is this Devil Fruit you've attained?"

Luffy replied, "I'll show you."

He then announced, **"The Ninth Circle."**

A blinding flash enveloped the empty street and the surrounding temperature rose dramatically, as Luffy flared his aura. Steam started to rise from the ground surrounding the two and Luffy's clothes dried. The man looked at his form for a moment, spending a few seconds on his flaming halo and his wings respectively. He then broke the silence, "I see. You've gotten a Mythical Zoan. Judging by your halo, I assume you can also manipulate that flame." The look of curiosity faded as the grin reappeared, he then continued, "That is incredible! I've heard they have the potential to surpass even us Logia." The man then walked up to Luffy and grabbed his shoulder. He then inquired, "Luffy, I must ask… do you plan to conquer the sea with this power? Is your ambition truly to become the Pirate King?"

Luffy returned to his base form and answered with a smile, "Shishishishi, I don't want to conquer anything! I just want to be the Freest Man in the World!"

The man gave Luffy a genuine smile, he then walked past Luffy saying, "I don't expect anything less, but I should go…We have talked for too long. Oh, as a gift to start your voyage, the tailwinds will be heading west by the time you reach your ship. It will make entering Reverse Mountain's stream much easier."

* * *

Luffy was nearly at the Merry when a tall, pretty, and slightly voluptuous woman stepped out from a alleyway with four men behind her. She then yelled, "Luffy! I can't believe you would leave without saying goodbye to the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Luffy stopped in his tracks and turned towards the woman. The woman wore a white cowboy hat, a bikini top and some leggings. She was also carrying a big spiked mace, but Luffy had to admit, she was very pretty, especially with her outfit enhancing her looks … But to say she is the most beautiful woman... He had to disagree, Nami was better looking than her. Luffy then replied, "Do I know you?"

The woman put a hand over her heart, grabbing her breast and said with a mock pained expression, "Luffy, you wound me! I can't believe you would forget so quickly! You were the first man to ever strike me and express dominance."

He rose his eyebrow and looked at her again, "I think I would remember hitting someone like you."

She then smirked and stated, "However it is true, I do look slightly different from our last encounter. I did lose my freckles after all, but maybe this will jog your memory." She then turned to the men and asked, "Boys! Who is the most Beautiful Woman in all the seas?"

With hearts for eyes the men answered, "You, Alvida!"

Luffy cocked his head and with a squint, he looked at her, _"It's possible..."_ Luffy then felt her aura and sure enough, it's her. But the aura feels like a Devil Fruit user, so maybe it changed her appearance? He then crossed his arms and declared, "You ate a Devil Fruit, didn't you."

Alvida looked at him with wide eyes before she smirked. She nodding her head and sauntering over with a seductive smile while saying, "Nothing gets past you, Luffy. Just what I'd expect from my man."

As she pushed her breasts against his left arm, Luffy asked, "What do you want, Alvida? I have to leave soon."

Alvida pouted and replied, "I want to go with you. We can be co-captains and lovers. We can rise to the top of this world and rule together! We can-"

Luffy cut her off, "No."

Horror washed over her face, as tears started to grow in her eyes, she then stepped back and asked, "Why? Am I not good enough? Is my body unattractive? Am I too weak? I can change!"

"I can't have those distractions during my adventures, especially in the Grand Line." He then shook her off and continued, "Besides, I don't want to rule, I just want to be free." Luffy started back down the street, not even sparing another glance towards the woman.

* * *

When Luffy arrived at the Merry, everyone was obviously irritated and the thunderstorm didn't help. As soon as he stepped foot on the ship, Nami came out of nowhere and hit him over the head, causing a welt to form. She then yelled, "We need to go now! The winds are perfect and we don't want them to change." The crew cast off and raised anchor, lowering the sails and catching the downwind heading west.

As they came closer to the mountain, Sanji brought out a barrel and yelled, "We should have a launching ceremony!"

Luffy walked to the barrel and putting his foot on top of it, saying, "To be the Pirate King!"

Zoro was next, "To become the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

Usopp then yelled, "To be the Greatest Marksman this world has ever seen!"

"To find the All Blue and Mermaids!" Sanji yelled with hearts for eyes and a bloody nose, fantasizing about his first mermaid.

After a glare and a punch to the back of his head, Nami finished, "To draw a map of the world!"

* * *

As the Merry neared Reverse Mountain, the Straw Hats rolled up the sails and they saw it, a current defying nature. Beyond the grey stone gates, a stream propelled up the mountain, disappearing in the clouds and disregarding gravity entirely. Suddenly, the Merry lurched forward and changed course, turning towards the gates, Nami then yelled over the storm, "We just entered the current! We have to make it through those gates, or we'll be killed!"

Luffy ran to the front of the ship, noticing the drift to the left, he yelled to Usopp, "Starboard! Starboard, now! We're drifting!"

Suddenly the ship sped forward, barely passing through the gates and into the current ahead. As they headed up the mountain everyone yelled, "WAHOOO! We made it!"

Luffy jumped onto the figurehead as the Merry continued up and up the canal. Faster and faster the ship rose. As they passed the clouds, the mist from the current turned to crystal and vapor. Just as the Merry reached the apex of the mountain, the Going Merry launched out of the current and landed on another. However, this one went straight down and faster as the last.

Every Straw Hat held onto the railing for dear life, all the while Luffy was looking out onto the clouds of world's most famous sea. Luffy then said to himself, "So this is it...the Greatest Sea in the World! The Grand Line!" He then felt something, the largest individual presence he'd ever felt, and it wasn't human. Luffy tried to see what it was, but could only see the clouds that engulfed the land below. The Merry then burst from the cloud layer, plummeting down the stream. Then he saw it, a massive black…thing? Whatever it was, it was blocking their path and threatened to sink the Merry. Luffy then heard Nami ask, "What the hell is that thing?!"

Then a loud sound nearly shook the ship and echoed around them. Luffy stared wide-eyed at the leviathan that was spouting water from it's back and replied in shock, "It's a whale…"

The Going Merry speed down the mountain at a breakneck speed and as the ship started to near the massive animal, Luffy yelled, **"The Ninth Circle!"**

Luffy then held his palm in front of the ship and said, **"Jet Inferno."** As the winged man held out his hand, a small white flame protruded from the center of his palm that flowed into the sea beyond. He then flexed his arm and the flame grew in size and strength, causing the ship to slow. Seeing as the Merry would still hit the whale, Luffy put more strength in the technique, causing the flame to grow to half the size of his palm. The Merry slowed to a halt, but because of the strength of the flame and its heat, the scarred whale's eye darted to the ship before it. The whale then roared again, before opening its toothed mouth, sucking in the Merry and massive amounts of water.

Luffy fell off the figurehead but was able to catch and hold onto a tooth for dear life. When he climbed onto the tooth to look down the throat of the goliath, his crew and the Going Merry were gone. As the sucking slowed and the mouth closed, Luffy leapt off the tooth and using his wings to fly to the top of the whale. Luffy landed within seconds and caught his breath, trying to think of ways to get his crew back to continue on their adventure. But looking around, he noticed a few things, there's a strange hatch on the whale and the sea was rising fast. Not seeing another option, Luffy jumped down the hatch and closed it, locking himself inside the whale. He went back into his base form and looked around. Luffy found himself in a dusty metal passageway with wooden supports. Seeing as back is a dead end and up is impossible, Luffy ran forward, hoping to find his nakama.

* * *

"Were we eaten?" Usopp questioned while looking around.

Nami shot him a glare and replied, "What do you think?"

Zoro looked at both of them and answered, "Yeah, we were eaten by that big ass whale."

"Then why is all this here? Isn't this the stomach?" Sanji asked, looking at the sky and island in the center. Suddenly, a giant purple squid emerged from the water and latched onto the Merry. Zoro unsheathed his katana, while Sanji started to run towards the beast. Only for four harpoons to pierce through the squid, causing it to slowly sink back into the water. The four looked past the squid and saw a weird flower man with a newspaper in his hand exiting the house. The old man looked at the Sanji with an intense gaze as he walked over to his lawn chair, sitting down without saying a word.

Sanji then screamed, "SAY SOMETHING YOU OLD BASTARD! DON'T JUST SIT DOWN! YOU'RE IN THE STOMACH OF A GODDAMN WHALE!"

The old man looked up from his paper and sent him that intense gaze again, before shifting his gaze to the other three. When his gaze reached Usopp, he pulled out his pistols and declared with a fear-laced voice, "Y-you want to fight old man?! We're Pirates!"

The old flower man kept his gaze on the boy with goggles before replying, "Don't, or somebody will die."

Zoro studied the man for a moment before asking with a sneer, "Oh? Who would that be?"

The old man looked back at his newspaper and answered, "Me"

Zoro grabbed Sanji before he killed the man and stated, "Oi, Old Man! We're the Straw Hat Pirates. Can you tell us who you are and why all this is here?"

The old man looked up from his paper again and sent his intense gaze at Zoro, after almost a minute of silence, he answered, "I could tell you were pirates, you have a Jolly Roger after all. But my name is Crocus, The Lighthouse keeper of the Twin Capes. I'm 71 years old, I have type AB blood and I'm a Gemini. I am a-"

Zoro looked to the other Straw Hats as the old man continued and asked, "You guys don't care if I kill him right?"

The Old man cleared his throat and retained the pirate's attention. He then continued, "As for why all this is here…I like to paint. As for why I'm here, the whale got too big to treat, so I have to work inside the body. If you want an exit it's right there. Otherwise, you'll have to wait, but I don't suggest it." Crocus finished as he pointed at the somehow unnoticed massive metal door. Suddenly, the water and the island started violently sway and shake as something happened outside. Crocus let out a heavy sigh and asked, "You all saw the scars?"

Nami nodded as she answered, "They are all over him, what's causing them?"

"Well, Laboon tries to break through the Red Line at least twice a week. I have ways of sedating him, but he's desperate."

Sanji then asked, "What's he desperate for?"

"His nakama. He's been here for 50 years waiting for them. I've tried to tell him to move on, but he just won't accept the possibility of them never coming back."

"Do you know what happened to them?" Usopp asked, now captivated by the story.

"No…I went looking for them 20 some odd years ago, but I never found anything about the Rumbar Pirates in any of my travels… It's like they vanished." Crocus let out another sigh as got up from his chair and dove into the green water.

Zoro turned to Nami and ordered, "Nami, we need to get out of here as fast as possible. I doubt our ship can handle stomach acid."

Nami looked at Zoro with some worry before asking, "But, what about Luffy?" Just as Nami finished her sentence, distant screams were heard above them. Looking up, the pirates saw three people falling from a hole in the stomach. One of them had blue hair, while another had a green jacket and the last had a red vest.

Usopp smiled as he yelled, "Luffy!" He then looked around and asked, "How the hell did he get up there?"

Nobody had time to answer, as two of the three crashed head first into the Going Merry and were knocked out cold, While Luffy just **MoonWalked** down. Luffy then said, "Fhew, I was scared I'd never find you guys, or you'd get digested! Shishishi."

Nami smacked him and screamed, "THAT'S NOT A LAUGHING MATTER!"

While Luffy sat on the deck and rubbed his head, he looked around and questioned, "How did we get outside?"

Sanji answered, "We aren't outside. It's just a painting."

Zoro then asked, "Luffy, who are these guys?"

Luffy stood up and walked towards the two and stated, "I don't know… I found them in a hallway that suddenly went from walkable to treacherous and they were holding onto a support beam. I just grabbed onto this bastards leg and the woman couldn't hold us." Luffy finished by lightly kicking said man in the leg.

Suddenly, the massive metal doors swung open and a slight current pulled the Merry towards the exit. As they entered the tunnel, Crocus jumped on board and said, "This should only take a couple of minutes." He walked over to the two unconscious and let out a sigh, "Looks like they are still sending people…"

Luffy asked, "Sending people? Whose sending people?"

Crocus looked at Luffy with that gaze and replied, "I don't know the name of the Organization, but they've been trying to kill Laboon for years. That's part of the reason I took up the position of Lighthouse keeper."

As the pirates exited the whale, they rowed towards the Lighthouse and dropped anchor. Crocus then jumped off with the two unconscious people slung over his shoulders, he then turned around and asked, "Little girl, how are you currently navigating this ocean?"

Nami looked at him for a couple seconds, before pulling out her compass. Her eyes widened in shock because the compass was just spinning aimlessly. Seeing her reaction, Crocus chuckled and stated, "Compasses don't work in the Grand Line. Somethin' they don't tell ya." He dropped the guy on his shoulder and dug in his pocket for a second, before he pulled out a strange glass orb. He then tossed it to her and said, "That's a log pose. It'll record the magnetic waves from each island you go to. After the log is set, it'll point to the next island. Although, each island has a different time requirement."

Nami looked at the watch and saw it is indeed a glass orb, but has a suspended needle in the center. She then attached it to her wrist and looked back to Crocus. She quickly replied, "Thank you… This is monumental for us."

Crocus waved it off, "Think nothing of it. I don't need it anyway."

Then the whale beside them jerked to life and its eye darted to the old man on the coast. Laboon went to swing it's tail, but Luffy jumped inbetween the two and ordered with haki laced words, "Stop!"

The whale surprisingly stopped and looked at the man in the Straw Hat, Luffy then ordered, "Stop ramming your head, it'll do nothing. I want you to wait. We will sail around this world and come back in a few years. Until then, I will leave you a promise and a mark of our friendship." A few minutes later, a crudely draw Jolly Roger was painted on the nose of the whale, Luffy then finished, "I promise, I will bring back your nakama. Now don't do anything to ruin this mark!"

The whale looked at Luffy for a few seconds before he raised his head and bellowed to the heavens in agreement. Because of the loud cry, the two who were unconscious awoke with a start, they then looked around. The man got up and yelled, "We have to get out of here, Miss Wednesday! We're heavily outnumbered!"

The woman jumped to her feet, which cause Sanji to swoon, and agreed, "Your right Mr. 9!" She then pointed to a small dingy next to the Going Merry, "Look we can use that to get back to Whiskey Peak!"

Luffy as watched the two paddle away as fast as possible, he asked Crocus, "By the way, where does that log pose lead?"

"Same place they're going, Whiskey Peak." Crocus lingered his gaze on Luffy for a bit before asking, "What's your name?"

Luffy turned to Crocus and replied, "Monkey D. Luffy"

Crocus narrowed his eyes and repeated, "Monkey…D." He the bellowed a laugh and asked, "Your Garp's grandson aren't you?"

Luffy flashed the trademark Monkey D. smile, "Shishishishi, yep! He's my gramps!" Luffy then questioned, "Do you know him?"

Crocus rubbed the back of his head and answered, "Eh, you could say that. We met a lot during my time in the Line."

"I see." Luffy looked at the old man for a while longer before jumping onto the Merry and as Usopp brought up the anchor, Luffy yelled, "To Whiskey Peak!"


	10. Whiskey Peak

Disclaimer… I don't own One Piece.

 **Actions**

" _Thoughts"_

"Dialogue"

 **This story reached 20,000 views at 1:05 a.m on November 22, 2018. Thanks to everyone who has supported this story up to this point. When I first started to write** _ **The Guardian of Their Dreams**_ **, I doubted it would find anywhere near as much success as it has. I want and plan to continue as far as possible…**

* * *

 _On a random Island in the New World…_

A pirate ran through the tropical island towards his officers, as he burst into a clearing, he fell to his knees and yelled, "Captain! Captain!"

An officer with blond dreadlocks and a star-patterned cape placed a mug full of West Blue booze before the man and the calm voice of the Captain said, "Calm down and catch your breath." After a few seconds, the pirate finished the mug and looked up to his captain, who was hidden under the shade of a palm tree. The Captain then asked, "Now, what is the problem?"

The pirate pointed behind him and yelled, "Hawkeye… He's he-" The pirate couldn't finish because he felt an aura of death loom behind him, causing him to instinctively dive out of the way of the swordsman.

The Captain then grabbed the hilt of his blade on his right side and asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure, Dracule Mihawk? Are you here for another duel? I'm not feeling the greatest at the moment, but if I remember correctly, I still hold the winning record."

Mihawk waved his hand in a dismissive fashion, as he replied, "I'm uninterested in another spar with a one-armed man. However, I took a stroll through the East Blue some weeks ago… There I met two very interesting youths. One with green hair who wields three swords and another with a familiar Straw Hat. He reminded me of a story you once told me about a child in an unassuming village..." Mihawk finished by unrolling two wanted posters and presented them to the pirates.

Benn Beckman then quietly said with a smile, "Luffy…"

Lucky Roo added, "He finally started?"

Yasopp walked over to Mihawk and stated, "Gimme that." As he grabbed the poster from Mihawk's hand. While looking over the poster, he saw a mop of curly hair and a long nose poking out from the side, "Hahaha I know that head anywhere! Luffy recruited Usopp!" After a few seconds, Yasopp looked at the other poster and asked, "Who's the other one?"

Mihawk glanced at the marksman and replied, "His first mate, Roronoa Zoro I believe. He left a very strong impression during our duel." As Mihawk finished, he ever so slightly twitched his cheek, which now sported a small scar through part of his beard. This did not go unnoticed with the pirates.

Shanks grinned and stated in an amused voice, "Hoho, I surprised. He must be very capable." Shanks looked over to Yasopp and ordered, "Bring those posters to me for a second."

Shanks grabbed the wanted posters from Yasopp's hand and laid them on the ground before him. While studying them intently, he said, "Fifty Million… I didn't think that was possible in the East Blue." Shanks then looked up to Mihawk and stated, "You know, I can't let you leave now that you've told me this…" The mood changed around Mihawk, who quickly guarded himself, only to hear, "Without a drink first!" The mood relaxed as Shanks looked around at his crew and yelled, "Everyone, let's drink! This calls for a party!"

Shanks pulled Mihawk over to a open barrel of booze. While looking into the barrel as Shanks was looking for a mug, Mihawk asked, "Weren't you grumbling over a hangover just now?"

Shanks filled the mug and pushed it into his chest as he replied, "Eh, who cares! This calls for a celebration, now drink. Drink!"

* * *

 _The training garden of Marine Headquarters, The Grand Line…_

Two cabin boys could be seen picking weeds while listening to the officers behind them talk about the new bounties. "Straw Hat Luffy, the man who took out Buggy the Clown, Foul Play Krieg, Arlong the Saw and I even heard he clashed with Dracule Mihawk."

Another Marine replied, "He is a pirate that should be taken seriously and exterminated immediately."

Koby looked to Helmeppo and whispered, "I can't believe they talk about Luffy like that… He may be a pirate, but he's a respectable man."

Helmeppo covered Koby's mouth and said, "Shut up Koby. Do you want to be kicked out of the Marines?!"

Koby smacked his hand away and answered, "I don't care. He's the man who saved my life and became my friend even after he knew my dream of becoming a Admiral. He's a good man and shouldn't be disrespected like that."

A gruff voice suddenly yelled behind the two, "What the hell do you think you two are doing!?"

The two jumped away from the voice and turned around to see a marine wearing a dog mask sitting on the walkway behind them. They both yelled, "Vice-Admiral Garp!"

Helmeppo then tried to answer, "W-We were just talking about that dangerous criminal, Straw Hat Luffy."

Garp lowered his voice as he replied, "I heard that much. But, I also heard this one," Garp motioned to Koby, "Say that he was friends with a pirate. It sounded pretty interesting." Garp then ordered, "Come with me."

As Garp led the two to an isolated beach, he stated, "You two are lucky I was the only one to hear you." He turned around and continued, "If anyone else heard, you'd either be executed or fired. Now, what was it you were saying about Straw Hat Luffy?"

Koby stood before the legendary Vice-Admiral with no fear and replied, "That man saved my life and gave me the courage to follow my dreams, I will always respect him. Even if we're fighting each other and stand on opposite sides of the law."

Garp then looked to the blond and asked, "Are you also friends with Straw Hat?"

Koby quickly answered, "He isn't. Helmeppo has nothing to do with Luff-" Helmeppo cut off Koby and told Garp, "I am!"

Koby stared at Helmeppo with wide eyes and asked, "What are you doing!?"

"This isn't the type of person who'd listen to any of that, Joint Responsibility, remember? We're in this together."

Garp then asked, "Do you two want to be Marines?"

They answered, "We do!"

"Then fight me! You must survive to stay."

The two stared at the Vice-Admiral for a moment, before throwing off their shirts and bandanas, then charging at the Vice-Admiral together.

* * *

 _On the deck of the Going Merry…_

"Can you remind me why I have to be hit with a stick again?"

With a heavy sigh, Luffy replied, "This is how I was taught Observation. If there was another way to obtain it, we'd be doing it."

"But we've been doing this for weeks already and haven't gotten anywhere."

"Nami, do you see Sanji or Usopp complaining?" Luffy asked as he looked up from the blinded Usopp.

Nami looked at the two, noticing the bruises and lumps, but neither said a word in protest as they continued to be smacked around… She looked back to Luffy and asked, "Then can you at least give us some tips?"

Luffy then walked away from Usopp, who started to take off his blindfold and announced, "Your ears are just as important as your eyes." Luffy then turned around and continued, "Listen to my footsteps, my heartbeat, my breath. Listen to the air from my swings, then find the pattern in the strikes. Once you find that pattern, imagine yourself in my place. Also, everyone and everything alive has a voice, once you hear this voice, you'll have obtained Observation Haki. Observation is what is beyond imagination, so you must utilize it to achieve it. Lastly and most important for Observation is composure. Keeping your composure is essential and without it, the ability is as useless as a devil fruit user in water."

He then looked around the Merry and declared, "That's much more than I was given. You guys should be able to figure it out from there, but it'll take months of training at least."

Nami gazed at Luffy with wide eyes and asked, "Is that how you figured it out?"

"It is, but remember... We're all different, so just use what I've told you as a guideline." Luffy then announced, "Alright, Usopp and Sanji, you two are done for today. You've already trained for four hours and I want some lunch. After we eat, Nami and Zoro will start training."

Luffy was already halfway up the stairs when Zoro yelled, "Why the hell do I have to do this training?!"

Luffy turned around and replied, "Just because it's harder for you to learn it, doesn't mean you can't. Besides, we don't need you getting lost at an important time."

"But why can't I work on Armament again instead?" Zoro asked while following Luffy into the kitchen.

"Because you and Sanji already destroyed the last of our boulders yesterday and we don't have any more training dummies… Well…besides me."

"Then I don't see a problem. You should be the best dummy for the job."

Luffy smirked as he sat down and replied, "Dumbass. Who's going to navigate while Nami is training? You? We'd probably end up in the West Blue."

Zoro scowled at him for a couple seconds before sighing and grabbing a bottle of sake. As he sat back down at the bench, Nami burst into the kitchen and yelled, "Everyone get ready, I can see Whisky Peak!"

Luffy jumped up from the bench and ran out onto the deck, before jumping to his special seat. As he looked out onto the neverending sea, he saw four mountain sized Cacti in the distance. When the Straw Hats gathered around him, Luffy announced, "Whiskey Peak… Our first stop in the Grand Line!"

It took almost an hour to see the town under the massive cacti mountains, but as the Merry neared the port, it was obvious they were expected. Almost a hundred and twenty people greeted the Straw Hats arrival, shouting, "Welcome to Whiskey Peak! Welcome to the Grand Line, brave warriors of the Sea!"

Luffy watched the confusing sight before him and ordered to his crew, "Be careful on this Island… I've never heard of a town that welcomes pirates."

Sanji yelled with hearts for eyes, "Who the hell cares! Look at all the beautiful ladies!"

Usopp added, "I agree with Sanji, this town just seems to greet pirates as heroes."

Zoro then asked, "I wonder why this place is called Whiskey Peak?"

Nami replied, "Maybe they have great liquor." She then turned to the other Straw Hats and stated," "Luffy brings up a good point though and besides this is where that dangerous organization is that Crocus was talking about."

The Straw Hats brought the Merry to a stop and as they anchored, a man with long curly hair and a saxophone announced, "Ma Ma Ma~ Welcome, my name is Igarappoi, the Mayor of Whiskey Peak. This town is known for its liquor, hospitality, and music. I humbly invite you all to a banquet in your honor, where you will find an ocean's worth of fine liquor and food. I hope you will join us."

Sanji and Usopp nearly screamed, "Gladly!" While the other Straw Hats just nodded and followed.

Nami then asked the tall man, "How long does it take for the Island's log to be recorded?"

The mayor turned to Nami and replied, "Please, don't concern yourselves with such trivial things and take a rest from your long journey." He grabbed Nami by the shoulder and escorted the pirates to the bar.

* * *

 _Later that night…_

The banquet raged into the night and the Straw Hats quickly became the life of the party. Usopp told his 'stories' to anyone who would listen and had most of the room on their toes. Sanji was surrounded by women, who were constantly giving him drinks. Luffy, Nami, and Zoro drank with anyone who asked and out drank them all. Massive amounts of food were passed around and everyone ate their fill. After almost five hours straight of drinking, eating, and sharing stories…the Straw Hats passed out one by one.

 _A few minutes later…_

"So what of the pirates, Mr. 8?" Mr. 9 asked as he approached the curly haired man with Miss Wednesday.

"They're asleep."

"Why the hell did we have to waste such good booze on them? We should have just crushed them at the harbor." A massive pink haired woman asked as she tore off her habit.

Mr. 8 looked to the woman and replied, "We shouldn't underestimate them, Miss Monday."

"And why the hell not! They look weak as shit and they ate most of our food. I say we go in there now and finish them."

Mr. 8 brought out two wanted posters and said, "Miss Monday, calm down. You all should see who we're dealing with." He then held out the wanted posters for his colleagues to see.

 **Dead or Alive**

 **-Straw Hat Luffy-**

 **-50 Million Berri-**

 **Dead or Alive**

 **-The Wandering Demon-**

 **-25 Million Berri-**

"50 Million Berri! H-He is worth 50 Million! How's that possible!"

"Hey! Could you shut up the hell up. We are all tired from the journey." A voice yelled from a rooftop.

The four looked up and saw two silhouettes against the full moon sitting on the roof above them. Mr. 8 then said in disbelief, "They were supposed to be incapacitated! How's this possible?!"

"A true swordsman, never allows alcohol to control himself."

"You really think we'd pass out from a little booze? You guys are just lucky we didn't drink you dry." The man in the Straw Hat announced. Almost a minute later, the street below the two was filled to the brim with bounty hunters. Luffy looked over to Zoro and asked, "There's more than a hundred of 'em. You up for a workout?"

Zoro stood up and replied, "Yeah. I've been cramped on the ship for too long and I have been meaning to test out my new blades." Zoro finished by unsheathing Hisuitsubame and looking at the golden hilt glimmering in the moonlight.

Zoro then looked down and announced, "I hope this isn't all Baroque Works has to offer. Otherwise, I'd be embarrassed to have been scouted by them."

"How the hell do you know the name of our Organization?!" Mr. 9 yelled in confusion.

Zoro slowly unsheathed his Kitetsu as he answered, "When was wandering my way through the East Blue. I was offered a job by your boss multiple times, I refused of course. A organization whose members don't know a thing about anyone and must refer to each other by codenames…how boring."

Mr. 8 announced to the bounty hunters around him, "A new tombstone must be added tonight." He then pointed at Zoro, "Kill him!"

As soon as Mr. 8 yelled, only one silhouette remained. Everyone then heard, "Damn, the moon is pretty tonight."

Everyone jumped away from the green-haired swordsman as he watched their reactions with a grin. Zoro quickly announced, "Now… Shall we get started?"

Before anyone could blink, the bounty hunters around Zoro exploded in blood from multiple non-fatal slashes. Mr. 8 yelled, "Just kill him! He's just one swordsm-" The curly headed man was stopped by a blade beside his eye.

He then heard, "You are going to need more than one tombstone."

Suddenly every gun around was pointed at Mr. 8. He quickly shrieked, "STOP! DON'T SHOOT ME!" Mr. 8 brought his sax to his mouth, as bullets exploded from his hair.

Zoro watched from behind a building as twenty men were hit by numerous bullets. Zoro looked down at Sandai Kitetsu and thought, _"I need to be careful with this blade…I accidentally killed two people back there. The guy said this thing was cursed, but a masterwork blade should only cut what his master wishes."_ Zoro then looked to Hisuitsubame with a smile, _"The old guy said this blade is also cursed… But it feels better even than Wado Ichimonji. What a great katana…"_

As Zoro was absorbed by his swords, he heard someone above him yell, "I found him!"

As soon a Zoro heard a gun cock, he flung himself into the house behind him and flipped over a table to hide. Bullets riddled the table, but as the bounty hunters reloaded, Zoro sliced the table in half and seemed to fly out of the house, leaving a trail of cut up bodies.

* * *

Luffy watched as the bounty hunter below him ran around like headless chickens looking for Zoro. They had already lost almost forty men and the others were just running to their demise. Luffy closed his eyes and used Observation to check on his crew, but noticed that the only one awake was Nami. She seemed to quickly go through each house searching for something. Luffy jumped from rooftop to rooftop towards the house she's raiding.

Luffy jumped down from the roof and walked through the door to find Nami looting the place. The way she rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, it was obvious Nami had a method to the madness. Luffy watched her for a few more seconds before asking, "You find anything interesting?"

Nami didn't stop or look up as she answered, "Nothing. This is the fourth house and I've found nothing of value." Nami closed the drawer she was sifting through and asked, "What's all the commotion on the other side of town?"

"Zoro is testing out his new swords and playing with the bounty hunters."

"I s-" The sounds of explosions interrupted the conversation. Nami then yelled, "What the hell does he think he's doing?!"

Luffy quickly checked the area with his Observation, sensing two devil fruit users and dying auras around them. "That wasn't Zoro." Luffy quickly dashed out of the house and jumped into the air, only to leave a afterimage.

It took less than ten seconds for Luffy to reach Zoro, who didn't even seem surprised to see him appear out of thin air. Luffy looked at the two before him, then looked behind to see the bluenette from earlier riding a man-sized duck. He looked to Zoro and asked, "So… What's going on here?"

Zoro looked back at the two agents with bodies littered around them and answered, "I followed the explosions and overheard that those two ass wipes have orders to kill everyone here, including us."

Luffy looked at the two as the man with sunglasses pulled out his pistol and declared, "Everyone on this island will die tonight, isn't that right, Miss Valentine?"

"Kyahaha, that's correct, Mr. 5. It's even better that it's impossible to flee for their lives!" Miss Valentine then looked at Mr. 5 and asked, "Can I kill Princess Vivi? I've always wanted to kill the long lost princess of Alabasta." The woman looked back toward the bluenette and released a small, but steady amount of killing intent.

Mr. 5 shrugged as he replied, "That's fine, but first we need to kill those who protect her." The woman frowned but slowly started to float into the sky, steadily going higher and higher.

Luffy looked back to the woman on the duck and asked, "Hey princess, what will you give us if we protect you?" She looked at him with fearful eyes and was unable to formulate a sentence. Luffy then waved her off while saying, "We'll talk about it after this is finished."

Luffy turned back around to the man walking leisurely towards them. He then heard someone high above him yell, **"Ten Thousand Kilogram Press!"** Zoro quickly dove out of the way of the woman, while Luffy watched her plummet towards him. He then pulled his arm back and declared, "She has too much confidence in her devil fruit." As the woman's foot collided with his blackened hand, she let out a deafening scream.

Mr. 5 watched as his partner crumpled to the ground and started sobbing while holding her shattered foot. Before Mr. 5 could help her, he saw a flash of green to his right making him instinctively bring his pistol to his face and say, **"Breeze Breath Bomb."** The building exploded, but before he could bring the pistol away from his face, the pistol along with his finger were sliced in half. Just as Mr. 5 felt the pain from his missing finger, he was stabbed by the butt of a blade, then kicked into the house to his left, breaking a few of his ribs and knocking him unconscious on impact.

Zoro sheathed Hisuitsubame and walked back to his captain, who quickly knocked out the screaming woman with another single punch. As the two walked towards the princess, they noticed she still had her weapon in her hands. Luffy held up his hands and stated, "Don't worry, we aren't going to hurt you. But, it looks like you did something to piss of Baroque Works and I doubt they will stop hunting you. Why are they trying to kill you?"

The princess lowered her weapon and answered, "That will take a while to explain…"

"We have time." Zoro replied.

The bluenette sighed as she dismounted the duck and walked over to the side of a house. She then sat on a barrel and started, "I guess I should start at the beginning. My name is Nefertari Vivi, Princess of The Alabasta Kingdom. I left my home a few years ago when I heard of a criminal organization called Baroque Works. I infiltrated the organization to spy on their plans and whereabouts. But most of all, I joined to learn the secret identity of their leader, Mr. 0."

Luffy quickly interjected, "That was brave of you and also extremely foolish. Besides, what does any of this have to do with The Alabasta Kingdom?"

"It's not like I did this alone!" Vivi bit back with irritation. "The Captain of the Royal Guard, Ingram or as he was referred to in Baroque Works, Mr. 8, went with me. As for how this relates to Alabasta, Baroque Works framed my father, The King, and caused a civil war to erupt. I infiltrated this terrible organization to find the mastermind behind the plot and prove my father's innocence."

"How did they frame your father?" Luffy questioned.

"Alabasta is a desert island and has frequent droughts, however, the current drought is the longest in history… It's been years since most of the country has had rain, except for the capital, Alubarna. Which had regular rain showers, but we soon learned it was caused by a substance named, 'Dance Powder'. The next day, Dance Powder was planted in the royal palace and as soon as word spread, it sparked a rebellion."

Zoro looked at Luffy, "Controlling the weather… Didn't you say Logia users are capable of that?"

Luffy nodded, he then looked at Vivi, but before he could ask his question, Nami rounded the corner and questioned, "What's this I'm hearing about conspiracies and rebellions?"

Vivi looked at Nami with wide eyes full of fear, while Luffy just replied, "Oh, Nami." He then gestured to Vivi, "This is the Princess of The Alabasta Kingdom, Nefertari Vivi. I was thinking of helping her get home."

"We aren't doing that without getting paid! We're pirates, not good Samaritans." Nami set her eyes on Vivi and asked, "What is our reward for helping you get home, Princess?"

Vivi stared at Nami for a few seconds before replying, "We aren't the wealthiest Kingdom, but I'll pay anything for your help."

Nami's eyes turned to berris as she thought of the possibilities, Zoro then interjected, "Is that a Vulture and a rat?" The two were perched on the neighboring rooftop and the rat was drawing something on a piece of paper. Vivi whipped her head around and yelled, "The Unluckies!"

Luffy watched as the otter showed the four their drawings, then it jumped on the back of the vulture and flew off. He looked on for another moment before knocking the two out with a wave of haki. The four watched as they fell from the sky and crashed into a house. Luffy asked, "Zoro, can you go take care of them? We don't want extra attention."

Zoro just nodded as he walked away, but Vivi gazed at Luffy with wide eyes, she then asked, "What…what did you just do?"

"Don't worry about it," Nami answered for him. With a greedy smile, she looked back at Vivi and declared, "Now about our reward… We will require a billion berri fee."

Vivi's eyes widened astronomically, "A billion?! That's outrageous! Alabasta will have nothing to fund the rebuilds after the civil war!"

Luffy looked at Nami and said, "Come on Nami, that's too much. Let's worry about rewards when we finish this." Nami glared at Luffy but met his challenging gaze. It lasted almost thirty seconds, but Nami relented. She then turned back to Vivi and said, "We'll help you, but it won't be free."

Before she could reply, Zoro came around the corner while cleaning his Kitetsu with part of the polka dot onesie the otter wore. He then threw the rag in the sea and declared, "I'm dying to hear who Mr. 0 is."

Vivi stiffened slightly before answering, "Mr. 0, the mastermind and ringleader of Baroque Works is none other than the Shichibukai Crocodile!" Vivi expected a little more emotion in the pirate's expressions, only Nami reacted how she expected. She wide eyes and gasped, but when she looked at Luffy, she quickly recovered. Only Luffy and Zoro's eyes announced their emotion, which was a slight confusion. Luffy then replied, "A Shichibukai, well I guess that could be expected… They are still pirates after all."

"But he's contracted by the World Government. Why would he want to overthrow a country allied with them?" Vivi asked, visibly confused.

"Vivi, you must understand that the Shichibukai are still pirates. They just have more freedom than most pirates, besides the Yonko." Zoro then added, "As for why he's taking over Alabasta, I'd assume it has to do with his devil fruit. If his environment matches his powers… That will amplify his abilities."

Luffy looked at Nami and asked, "Did you find anything of value?" Nami looked away from her captain and answered, "Nothing much, just about two hundred thousand berri." Luffy nodded as he stood up and said, "That's fine. Go and wake up the other two. We need to leave soon." Luffy then looked back to Vivi and declared, "Welcome to the Straw Hat Pirates."

* * *

 **AN: Again, I sincerely thank everyone who has supported the story. I also apologize for the long wait for this chapter… I originally wanted to update this story on the 30th, but family problems and classes prevented that… I did have a small case of writer's block for this story, but I chalk that up to laziness. I also just published a Highschool Dxd story called The VoidWalker and I am also working on a Halo story so look out for that.**


End file.
